LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

University  of  California. 

GIFT    OF 

Class 

THE  BIBLE  FOR  HOME  AND  SCHOOL 
SHAILER  MATHEWS,  General  Editor 

PROFESSOR  OF  HISTORICAL  AND  COMPARATIVB  THEOLOGY 
THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO 


DEUTERONOMY 
W.   G.   JORDAN 


THE  BIBLE   FOR  HOME   AND    SCHOOL 

SHAILER   MATHEWS,  General  Editor 


GENESIS 

By  Professor  H.  G.  Mitchell 
DEUTERONOMY       . 

By  Professor  W.  G.  Jordan 
ISAIAH 

By  Professor  John  E.  McFadyen 
MATTHEW 

By  Professor  A.  T.  Robertson 
ACTS 

By  Professor  George  H.  Gilbert 
GALATIANS 

By  Professor  B.  W.  Bacon 
ephesians  and  COLOSSIANS 

By  Reverend  Gross  Alexander 
HEBREWS 

By  Professor  E.  J.  Goodspeed 

VOLUMES  IN  PREPARATION 
JUDGES 

By  Professor  Edward  L.  Curtis 
I   SAMUEL 

By  Professor  L.  W.  Batten 
JOB 

By  Professor  George  A.  Barton 
PSALMS 

By  Reverend  J.  P.  Peters 
AMOS,   HOSEA,  and   MICAH 

By  Professor  J.  M.  P.  Smith 

MARK 

By  Professor  M.  W.  Jacobus 

JOHN 

By  Professor  Shailer  Mathews 

ROMANS 

By  Professor  E.  I.  Bosworth 

I  AND  II  CORINTHIANS 
By  Professor  J.  S.  Riggs 


THE  BIBLE  FOR  HOME  AND  SCHOOL 


COMMENTARY 

ON 

THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


BY 


W.   G.   JORDAN,  B.A.,  D.D. 

PROFESSOR  OF  HEBREW  AND   OLD  T^TAMENT  LITERATURE 
IN   queen's   UNIVERSITY,   KINGSTON,   CANADA 


THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 
1911 

All  rights  reserved 


Copyright,  1911, 
By  the  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published  March,  igii. 


The  references  in  the  foot-notes  marked  "  SV  "  are  to  the  American  Standard 
Edition  of  the  Revised  Bible,     Copyright,  1901,  by  Thomas  Nelson  &  Sons. 

•1   ^V^'PERMISSJON  pF;TltE«Pl»USHERS. 


I 


WortoooTJ  5Pre88 

J.  8.  Cashing  Co.  —  Berwick  «Sz;  Smith  Co. 

Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


TO  THE  MEMORY 

OF 

GEORGE  MONRO   GRANT 

WHO  FOR  TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  AS  PRINCIPAL  OF 

queen's    university,   CANADA,    RENDERED 

FAITHFUL  SERVICE  IN  THE  CAUSE  OF  HIGHER  EDUCATION 

AND   RELIGIOUS   FREEDOM 

THIS  VOLUME 

IS  RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED 


235414 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/commentaryonbool<OOjordrich 


GENERAL   INTRODUCTION 

The  Bible  for  Home  and  School  is  intended  to  place 
the  results  of  the  best  modern  biblical  scholarship  at  the 
disposal  of  the  general  reader.  It  does  not  seek  to  dupli- 
cate other  commentaries  to  which  the  student  must  turn. 
Its  chief  characteristics  are  (a)  its  rigid  exclusion  of  all 
processes,  both  critical  and  exegetical,  from  its  notes ; 
{b)  its  presupposition  and  its  use  of  the  assured  results 
of  historical  investigation  and  criticism  wherever  such 
results  throw  light  on  the  biblical  text;  (c)  its  running 
analysis  both  in  text  and  comment ;  {d)  its  brief  explana- 
tory notes  adapted  to  the  rapid  reader;  {e)  its  thorough 
but  brief  Introductions  ;  (/)  its  use  of  the  Revised  Version 
of  1 88 1,  supplemented  with  all  important  renderings  in 
other  versions. 

Biblical  science  has  progressed  rapidly  during  the  past 
few  years,  but  the  reader  still  lacks  a  brief,  comprehensive 
commentary  that  shall  extend  to  him  in  usable  form  mate- 
rial now  at  the  disposition  of  the  student.  It  is  hoped 
that  in  this  series  the  needs  of  intelligent  Sunday  School 
teachers  have  been  met,  as  well  as  those  of  clergymen 
and  lay  readers,  and  that  in  scope,  purpose,  and  loyalty 
to  the  Scriptures  as  a  foundation  of  Christian  thought  and 
life,  its  volumes  will  stimulate  the  intelligent  use  of  the 
Bible  in  the  home  and  the  school. 


CONTENTS 

PAGB 

Introduction i 

I.  Name  and  Contents i 

II.  Its  Place  in  Hebrew  History  and  Literature    .        .  2 

1.  Hebrew  Literature 2 

2.  The  Pentateuch  and  Hexateuch 3 

3.  The  Relation  of  D  to  the  other  Documents         .        .  5 

4.  Ancient  Legal  Codes 6 

a.  The  Code  of  Hammurabi 6 

b.  The  Yahwist  Decalogue 7 

c.  The  Book  of  the  Covenant          ....  7 

d.  Deuteronomy 8 

e.  The  Priestly  Legislation  and  the  Holiness  Code  8 

5.  Influence  of  Deuteronomy  on  the  other  Books    .         .  9 

III.  Its  Origin,  Character,  and  Purpose      ....  10 

1.  Josiah's  Law-book II 

2.  The  Character  of  the  Book 13 

3.  Its  Purpose 16 

IV.  The  Fundamental  Idea  and  the  Fundamental  Law    .  17 

a.  The  Fundamental  Idea  ;  the  one  supreme  God  19 

b.  The  Fundamental  Law  ;  the  one  central  Sanctu- 

ary        19 

(i)  Sacrifice  and  Profane  Slaughter       .         .  20 

(2)  The  Cities  of  Refuge        ....  21 

(3)  The  Levites 21 

(4)  The  Administration  of  Justice ...  23 
V.  Its  Religious  Significance  and  Permanent  Influence  .  24 

VI.  The  Analysis  of  Deuteronomy 28 

VII.  Bibliography 32 

The  Commentary 35 

Appendix 259 

Index 261 

iz 


DEUTERONOMY 
W.  G.   JORDAN 


INTRODUCTION 
I.  Name  and  Contents  of  Deuteronomy 

For  those  who  desire  to  understand  fully  the  growth  of 
Hebrew  religion  and  the  origin  of  Judaism,  the  Book  of 
Deuteronomy  is  of  the  very  greatest  interest  and  im- 
portance. The  three  most  powerful  and  aggressive 
religions  of  the  world,  Islam,  Judaism,  and  Christianity, 
are  closely  related  to  the  Old  Testament;  and  in  the 
Sacred  Canon  there  is  no  book  of  larger  historical  im- 
portance and  deeper  spiritual  significance  than  this.  The 
name  is  due  to  a  mistaken  translation  of  a  particular  text, 
and  yet  it  turns  out,  as  we  shall  see,  to  be  wonderfully 
appropriate.  In  the  Greek  version  of  17 :  i8  the  phrase 
"a  copy  of  this  law"  is  rendered  "this  deuteronomion/' 
which  means  this  second  law,  hence  the  name  Deuteronomy, 
just  as  we  use  "Deutero-Isaiah,"  for  a  second  writer  of  the 
Isaiah  school,  or  a  second  part  of  the  book  of  Isaiah.  The 
Jews  sometimes  used  this  name,  though  it  was  their  usual 
custom  to  take  the  first  words  of  a  book  as  its  title ;  in  this 
case,  these  words  or  simply  words.  Modern  versions  give 
it  the  heading :  The  Fifth  Book  of  Moses. 

In  its  present  form,  this  book  has  a  slightly  dramatic 
or  rather  oratorical  structure,  arising  from  the  fact  that  all 
its  parts  are  related  to  the  person  of  Moses.  All  its  varied 
material,  except  the  last  chapter,  which  contains  the 
narrative  of  his  death,  appears  as  the  deliverances  of  the 
great  Hebrew  leader.  On  closer  examination,  this  may 
turn  out  to  be  superficial,  but  it  is  the  first  thing  that  we 
have  to  take  note  of  in  considering  the  form  and  structure 
of  the  book.  The  first  three  chapters  contain  an  historical 
retrospect  delivered  by  Moses  to  the  assembled  host  of 


INTRODUCTION 


Israel.  This  is  followed  by  various  exhortations  (4),  an 
account  of  the  giving  of  the  Ten  Words  at  Horeb  (5),  and 
the  Great  Exhortation,  expounding  the  central  truth  of 
Hebrew  religion,  and  calling  for  intelligent  faith  and  con- 
sistent obedience  (6-1 1).  In  the  body  of  the  book  (12-26) 
we  have  the  Deuteronomic  Code  given  by  Moses  "this 
day"  (11:32).  In  Chapter  27  Moses  gives  commands 
that  are  to  be  carried  out  after  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan ; 
and  in  the  closing  chapters  of  the  book,  along  with  a  slight 
narrative,  there  are  exhortations,  a  song,  and  a  series  of 
oracles,  all  attributed  to  the  great  soldier  and  legislator. 
As  these  speeches  and  laws  are,  later  on  in  this  Introduc- 
tion, examined  from  various  points  of  view,  and  a  full 
analysis  is  given  at  the  close,  this  brief  account  of  the  con- 
tents and  structure  may  here  suffice.  To  introduce  one- 
self or  another  to  a  book  means  to  set  it  in  its  true  place  in 
history,  so  that  it  may  receive  light  from  preceding  events, 
and  throw  light  on  those  that  followed.  This  task  is 
difficult,  and  cannot  be  perfectly  accomplished,  but  it 
yields  rich  rewards  to  all  our  diligent  and  sympathetic  toil. 

II.  Its  Place  in  Hebrew  History  and  Literature 

Hebrew  Literature.  Hebrew  history  and  Hterature,  so  far 
as  they  are  the  direct  concern  of  the  Old  Testament  stu- 
dent, cover  a  space  of  a  little  over  twelve  centuries,  from 
the  Mosaic  period,  or  the  entrance  of  the  people  into  Pales- 
tine, until  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  Era.  During  the 
greater  part  of  this  time  their  hterature  was  in  process  of 
growth.  We  know  now  that  writing  and  hterature  are 
very  much  older  than  the  Hebrew  people,  and  we  can  no 
longer  regard  the  Bible  as  the  most  ancient  specimen  of 
Oriental  history  and  legislation.  This  literature  begins 
with  particular  narratives  or  poems,  such  as  Gen.  2 ;  3  ;  11; 
Judg.  5:11;  2  Sam.  i :  19  if . ;  Deut.  33,  which  are  afterwards 
taken  up  into  larger  collections,  embracing  a  more  extensive 
period  of  history.    Thus,  it  has  passed  through  three  stages : 


INTRODUCTION 


first  that  of  creation,  second  that  of  compilation  and  expan- 
sion, and  third  that  of  fixed  canonical  condition.  In  the  last 
period,  which  extends  from  the  first  century  of  our  era  to 
the  present  time,  a  severe  and  consistent  attempt  has  been 
made  to  hand  down  the  text  in  a  stereotyped,  changeless 
form.  Parts  of  the  Canon  no  doubt  received  their  final 
form  much  earlier.  The  Law,  understanding  by  this  word, 
as  in  the  later  Jewish  sense,  the  first  five  books  of  the  Old 
Testament,  began  to  reach  a  canonical  position  about  a 
century  after  the  Exile.  In  the  third  century  B.C.  it  was 
carefully  translated  into  Greek  for  the  Jews  of  Alexandria, 
and  copied  afterwards  with  increasing  care  and  rigidity. 
During  the  two  preceding  periods,  embracing  nearly  a  thou- 
sand years,  the  literature  was  growing  and  its  forms  chang- 
ing. In  fact,  these  two  earlier  periods  are  not  distinct,  but 
overlap,  the  creations  of  one  age  being  joined  to  those  of 
a  later  time,  and  the  contributions  of  a  distant  period 
rearranged  and  modified  to  meet  later  needs.  There  are 
scarcely  any  books  in  the  Old  Testament  that  appear  be- 
fore us  now  in  precisely  the  same  form  as  that  in  which  the 
narratives  came  from  the  hands  of  the  original  authors. 
Later  and  smaller  books,  such  as  Ezekiel  or  Joel  and  Jonah, 
approach  most  nearly  to  this  condition. 

The  Pentateuch  or  Hexateuch.  Deuteronomy  takes  its 
origin  from  a  period  (621  B.C.)  that  stands  about  midway 
between  the  two  points  of  time  which  are  assigned  to  the 
beginning  and  end  of  Hebrew  nationahty  (1250  B.C.  to  68 
A.D.)  and  consequently  has  relations  with  a  great  part  of  the 
Old  Testament,  but  its  connection  with  the  Pentateuch,  of 
which  it  forms  an  important  section,  calls  for  consideration 
first.  It  is  possible  to  speak  of  the  Hexateuch,  that  is, 
the  first  six  books  of  the  Bible,  as  forming  a  unity,  seeing 
that  there  runs  through  them  a  continuous  thread  of 
history  from  the  creation  of  the  world  to  the  conquest  of 
Palestine,  and  the  same  literary  sources  are  used  through- 
out. It  is  also  allowable  to  regard  the  Pentateuch  as 
being  in  even  a  stricter  sense  a  unity,  for  we  now  know 

3 


INTRODUCTION 


that  the  documents  in  question  extend  beyond  the  book 
of  Joshua,  and  that  they  were  put  together  in  that  book 
in  a  manner  different  from  that  which  was  employed  in 
the  earher  books.  We  have,  then,  in  the  Pentateuch  a 
volume  that  has  been  divided  into  five  parts  (note  the 
close  connection  between  Gen.  and  Exod.,  Lev.  and  Num.), 
and  that  deals  with  the  following  subjects  :  the  creation  of 
the  world  and  man,  the  spreading  of  the  earliest  races, 
the  rise  of  the  patriarchal  families,  the  deliverance  from 
Egypt,  the  revelation  at  Sinai  (Horeb),  the  wanderings 
in  the  wilderness,  the  legislation  given  in  the  land  of 
Moab,  and  the  death  of  Moses. 

After  long,  laborious  investigation  this  material  has 
been  divided  by  scholars  into  four  main  documents,  the 
result  of  slow  growth,  and  therefore  capable  of  further 
analysis.  It  is  only  the  barest  outline  of  this  important 
subject  that  can  be  attempted  here.  We  have  (i),  the 
Yahwist  document,  denoted  by  the  symbol  J.^  This  is 
believed  to  be  the  earliest.  Its  style  is  vivid  and  pic- 
tviresque,  and,  speaking  generally,  its  religious  ideas  are 
more  primitive  than  those  of  the  other  documents,  good 
specimens  of  its  character  in  both  these  respects  being 
Genesis  2  and  3,  and  11 :  1-9.  This  is  called  by  many  the 
Judean  prophetic  narrative.  (2)  E,  the  Elohist  document 
(from  Elohim,  the  Hebrew  name  of  God,  used  in  the  earUer 
portions)  which  begins  in  the  story  of  Abraham  and  comes 
down  into  the  historical  books.  (3)  D,  used  here  of 
Deuteronomy  as  a  whole,  but  which  will  receive  more 
detailed  consideration.  (4)  P,  The  Priestly  Code,  a 
document  that  is  concerned  largely  with  the  Levitical  Legis- 
lation, but  having  a  slight  historical  framework  and  begin- 
ning with  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis.  The  order  in  wMch 
they  have  been  named  is  that  in  which  they  are  supposed 
to  have  come  into  existence,  covering  a  period  ranging  from 
the  ninth  to  the  fifth  centuries  B.C.    Individual  elements  no 

1  For  analysis  of  Genesis  on  these  lines  consult  Dr.  Mitchell's  Commentary  in 
this  series. 


INTRODUCTION 


doubt  existed  earlier,  and  particular  parts  may  have  been 
added  later.  Thus,  the  so-called  document  is  not  the  work 
of  one  man,  but  the  production  of  a  school.  An  early 
document  may  have  received  later  additions,  while  a  late 
one  may  contain  very  early  material,  so  that,  taken 
altogether,  they  represent  a  continuous  development. 
There  is  no  reason  to  marvel  at  this  complexity,  for  it  is 
not  to  be  expected  that  the  varied  life  of  a  progressive 
nation,  and  the  most  earnest  endeavors  of  its  greatest  men 
can  be  expressed  in  a  simple  formula. 

The  Relation  of  D  to  the  other  Documents.  At  present 
we  must  confine  our  attention  to  the  narrative  portions, 
as  the  nature  of  Deuteronomy  demands  that  separate 
and  special  attention  be  paid  to  the  legal  codes.  It  has 
been  shown  conclusively  that  D  is  based  upon  the  earher 
documents  J  and  E  to  which  we  may  now  refer  in  their 
combined  form  as  JE.  The  result,  as  worked  out  in 
critical  commentaries  and  elaborate  introductions  is 
that  D  shows  the  closest  dependence  upon  JE,  but  no  trace 
of  connection  with  P.  Reference  has  been  made  in  the 
notes  to  double  traditions  (i :  36),  but  it  needs  fuller  illus- 
tration as  it  is  a  fact  of  central  significance.  In  order  to 
deal  sympathetically  with  the  suggestion  of  Mosaic  author- 
ship which  clings  to  Deuteronomy  in  its  earHest  stages,  we  do 
well  to  remember,  not  only  the  ancient  custom  of  sheltering 
new  contributions  under  the  protection  of  venerable  names, 
but  also  the  fact  that  much  of  this  material  was  even  then 
in  existence  in  the  form  of  narratives  and  laws  that  had 
grown  up  round  the  great  name  of  Moses.  The  striking 
thing  in  this  connection  is  that  it  is  possible  to  take  a 
chapter  in  Exod.  or  Num.,  after  its  parts  have  already 
been  analysed  according  to  thought  and  style  into  JE  and 
P  sections,  and  to  examine  their  relation  to  D  with  the 
result,  even  where  J E  and  P  are  now  closely  intertwined,  that  the 
contact  of  D  is  always  with  JE,  and  not  with  P.  This  is 
particularly  true  of  the  two  historical  retrospects  (1:6- 
3 :  29  and  9 :  8-10 :  11).    The  name  of  the  sacred  Mount, 


INTRODUCTION 


Horeb,  is  found  in  D  and  E,  while  P  uses  Sinai.  The  oath 
mentioned  in  i :  8  is  pecuHar  to  JE ;  the  account  of  the 
sending  out  of  the  spies  (i :  22)  agrees  with  JE  so  far  as 
the  two  statements  can  be  compared.  Now,  however, 
we  are  not  so  much  concerned  with  this  as  a  process  of 
proof  for  the  present  position,  as  with  the  fact  that  the 
histories  in  our  book  are  not  the  pure  product  of  the  seventh 
century,  but  a  re-editing  of  preexisting  material.  To 
illustrate  this  fact  we  need  take  only  two  passages  in 
Deuteronomy  which  are  fair  samples  of  many  similar  ones. 

"And  Yahweh  said,  'Arise,  get  thee  down  quickly  from 
hence ;  for  thy  people  which  thou  hast  brought  forth  out 
of  Egypt  have  corrupted  themselves;  they  are  quickly 
turned  aside  out  of  the  way  which  I  commanded  them ; 
they  have  made  them  a  molten  image.'  "     (Deut.  9:12.) 

"And  Yahweh  spoke  unto  Moses,  saying,  'Go,  get  thee 
down ;  for  thy  people,  which  thou  broughtest  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt,  have  corrupted  themselves;  they  have 
turned  aside  quickly  out  of  the  way  which  I  commanded 
them;  they  have  made  them  a  molten  calf.'"  (Exod. 
32 :  7-8.) 

"And  I  took  hold  of  the  two  tables,  and  cast  them  out 
of  my  two  hands,  and  brake  them  before  your  eyes." 
(Deut.  9: 17.) 

"And  Moses'  anger  waxed  hot,  and  he  cast  the  tables 
out  of  his  hands,  and  brake  them  beneath  the  mount." 
(Exod.  32 :  19b.) 

Practically  all  that  the  Deuteronomic  writer  has  done 
has  been  to  change  his  material  from  the  form  of  a  narrative 
into  that  of  a  speech.  Thus  the  speeches  of  Moses  in 
Deuteronomy  are  compiled  from  other  and,  in  many  cases, 
earher  records. 

Ancient  Legal  Codes.  The  legislation  in  Deuteronomy, 
lilce  its  histories,  cannot  be  considered  alone  as  it  has 
relations  to  other  collections  of  Laws  that  are  similar  in 
character.  The  oldest  code  known  is  that  of  Hammurabi, 
who  was  king  of  Babylonia  about  2200  B.C.  or  about  a 

6 


INTRODUCTION 


thousand  years  earlier  than  the  time  of  Moses.  This  code 
has  naturally  many  points  of  contact  with  the  narratives 
and  laws  of  the  Israelites.  It  differs  in  being  a  legislation 
that  meets  the  needs  of  a  more  complicated  situation, 
as  to  commerce  and  civilization,  than  that  of  the  Hebrew 
people,  but  many  of  its  principles  are  the  same,  though  it 
lacks  the  noble  view  of  God,  the  lofty  appeals  to  history, 
and  the  clear  humanitarian  strain  that  are  characteristic 
of  Deuteronomy. 

"If  a  man  has  stolen  the  son  of  a  free-man,  he  shall  be 
put  to  death"  has  a  parallel  in  Deut.  24:  7;  Exod.  21 :  16. 
"If  he  has  shattered  a  gentleman's  Umb,  one  shall  shatter 
his  limb  "  is  found  in  company  with  other  laws  that  Hterally 
demand  "an  eye  for  an  eye  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth" 
(Lev.  24:20;  Deut.  19:21;  Matt.  5:38).  The  question 
of  Babylonian  influence  on  the  Israelites^  cannot  be 
considered  here,  but  the  significant  fact  of  the  early 
existence  of  such  a  code  must  be  noted. 

Next  in  order  comes  the  Yahwist  decalogue  contained 
in  Exod.  34.  It  is  well  known  that  in  early  times,  before 
the  existence  of  elaborate  written  codes,  it  was  customary 
to  arrange  such  laws  in  series  of  fives  or  tens  as  a  help  to 
the  memory.  This  cannot  be  clearly  made  out  now  in 
the  case  of  Exod.  34: 14  ff.  (J),  where  there  are  thirteen 
commands,  but  it  is  probable  that  it  once  existed.  It 
should  be  noted  that  these  laws  are  of  what  we  would  call 
a  ritualistic  character,  and  that  there  are  many  points  of 
contact,  both  in  substance  and  words,  between  these 
ordinances  and  the  laws  of  Deuteronomy. 

The  Book  of  the  Covenant  (Exod.  20:22-23:33  (E)) 
is  a  legislative  code  suited  to  a  simple,  peasant  people. 
There  are  ritual  observances  natural  to  an  agricultural 
community,  laws  for  the  protection  of  life  and  property, 
and  a  beginning  shown  of  the  humanitarian  spirit  that  is 
more  fully  manifested  in  the  legislative  sections  of  our  book. 

1  The  present  writer  has  discussed  this  in  a'  volume  entitled  Biblical  Criticism 
and  Modern  Thought. 


INTRODUCTION 


The  points  of  contact  between  it  and  Deuteronomy  are  so 
many,  and  so  important,  that  the  latter  has  been  called  ''an 
enlarged  edition  of  the  Book  of  the  Covenant."  The  two 
copies  of  "The  Decalogue"  (Exod.  20  and  Deut.  5)  appear 
now  in  a  Deuteronomic  framework ;  the  original  form  goes 
back  to  an  earlier  time,  and  was  no  doubt  much  simpler. 
Short  forms  of  prohibitions,  as  "Thou  shalt  not  steal," 
were  common  in  an  early  non-literary  age,  and  they  were 
interpreted  at  first  in  a  narrow,  tribal  sense.  Read  in  the 
richer  light  of  the  prophetic  teaching,  this  decalogue  may 
well  be  regarded  as  laying  the  foundations  of  social  mo- 
rality. 

The  legislation  in  Deut.  occupies  about  one-third  of 
the  whole  book,  and,  as  is  shown  in  the  commentary,  it 
deals  with  a  great  variety  of  subjects.  It  is  based  upon 
these  earlier  codes,  and  bears  no  direct  trace  of  the  Priestly 
Legislation,  though  at  some  points  these  two  codes  may 
have  come  in  contact  with  common  material.  The  laws 
contained  in  Deut.  12-26  will  receive  in  this  Introduction 
a  more  careful  survey. 

The  Priestly  Legislation  and  the  Holiness  Code.  The 
history  and  legislation  denoted  by  the  symbol  P  is  a  com- 
plex literature  belonging  to  the  priestly  school,  and  now 
embedded  in  the  books  from  Gen.  to  Num.  The  laws  in 
Leviticus  show  that  its  chief  interest  is  in  the  position  of 
the  priests  and  the  more  elaborate  ritual  of  the  temple. 
The  theology  that  lies  behind  it  is  advanced,  in  that 
there  is  a  clear  recognition  of  the  one  transcendent  God ; 
the  ideas  of  sin  expressed  in  the  ritual  are  of  a  fully  de- 
veloped character,  and  imply  the  prophetic  teaching  as 
to  the  sin  of  the  nation.  The  fact  of  one  central  sanctuary, 
for  which  the  Deuteronomic  reformers  had  to  fight,  is  here 
assumed  as  something  that  has  always  existed.  This 
document  has  very  little  contact  with  Deut.  Only  very 
small  fragments  were  inserted  by  later  editors  when  the 
final  arrangement  of  the  five  books  was  made ;  e.g.  1:3; 
32:48-52;  34:1a,  7-9. 

8 


INTRODUCTION 


The  Holiness  Code,  or  H,  is  a  part  of  the  larger  whole 
included  under  the  symbol  P  and  contained  mainly  in 
Lev.  17-26.  The  section  has  a  special  character.  It 
may  have  been  the  first  part  of  the  Priestly  Legislation  to 
be  codified,  and  hence  may  be  contemporaneous  with  the 
later  parts  of  Deut.  There  are  points  of  contact  between 
H  and  D,  but  even  when  similar  subjects  are  treated,  it 
is  with  such  difference  of  expression  as  to  make  it  clear 
that  the  kind  of  dependence  proved  to  exist  between  D 
and  JE  does  not  exist  in  this  case. 

The  Influence  of  Deut.  on  other  Parts  of  the  Literature. 
Judges  is  a  clear  case  of  a  book  containing  very  early 
material  set  in  a  Deuteronomic  framework.  Here  we  have 
narratives  of  the  most  primitive  character  used  to  illustrate 
the  later  philosophy  of  history,  viz.  that  national  calamities 
are  the  punishment  of  religious  apostasy,  and  that  success 
comes  as  the  reward  of  sincere  repentance.  The  other 
historical  books,  except  Chronicles,  which  reflects  the 
view  of  the  later  priestly  school,  show  constant  signs 
of  Deuteronomic  influence.  It  has  been  proved  beyond 
dispute  that  these  historical  records  were  edited  at  a  time 
when  the  influence  of  Deuteronomy  was  fresh  and  power- 
ful. (Consider  carefully  Josh.  23.)  The  book  of  Jeremiah 
comes  from  the  same  period  as  that  to  which  Deuteronomy 
is  assigned,  and  it  is  therefore  natural  that  there  should 
be  many  resemblances  in  thought  and  style.  Jeremiah  was 
a  man  of  strong  character  and  original  powers  of  thought, 
but,  living  in  the  time  of  the  Deuteronomic  reformers, 
he  would  move  to  some  extent  in  the  same  circle  of  ideas. 
Every  school  has  its  dangers,  and  this  particular  danger 
of  attaching  too  much  importance  to  external  reforms  is 
one  against  which  Jeremiah  would  be  likely  to  contend 
with  all  the  energy  of  a  sensitive,  spiritually  minded  man. 
The  explanation  of  the  close  resemblance  in  style  between 
Deuteronomy  and  the  prose  passages  of  Jeremiah  is,  prob- 
ably, that  the  writings  of  that  great  prophet  have  come 
down  to  us  through  editors  of  the  Deuteronomic  school. 


INTRODUCTION 


All  that  has,  so  far,  been  presented  in  such  a  bald  form 
serves  to  illustrate  the  fact  that  Deuteronomy  is  a  book 
that  has  close  relations  of  dependence  upon,  and  influence 
over,  not  a  few  of  the  most  important  parts  of  the  Old 
Testament.  To  imderstand  this  we  need  to  consider  the 
origin,  character,  and  purpose  of  the  book. 

III.  Its  Origin,  Character,  and  Purpose 

The  Israelites  came  into  Palestine  about  1250  B.C.  They 
took  possession  of  the  land  gradually,  and  the  first  two  or 
three  centuries,  as  represented  by  the  book  of  Judges,  is  a 
time  of  struggle  under  conditions  that  are  rough,  and  un- 
favorable to  national  unity.  Even  then  the  belief  in  Yah- 
weh  is  a  living  force  to  bind  them  together  for  a  while,  and 
inspire  them  to  heroic  efforts.  About  1000  B.C.,  after  some 
unsuccessful  efforts  in  the  same  direction,  David,  by  the 
power  of  his  personality  and  gifts  of  leadership,  welds 
the  tribes  into  one  kingdom  and  chooses  Jerusalem  as 
the  political  capital  and  the  centre  of  reUgious  worship. 
This  condition,  however,  comes  to  an  end,  and  seventy 
years  later,  when  the  seeds  of  corruption  and  dissension 
sown  during  Solomon's  showy  reign  begin  to  bear  fruit, 
a  division  takes  place,  and  a  new  kingdom  is  formed 
under  Jeroboam,  with  its  capital  at  Samaria.  The  north- 
ern kingdom  is  at  first  the  stronger  of  the  two  in  mmibers, 
wealth,  and  political  power,  but  after  two  centuries  of  rest- 
less life,  marked  by  religious  quarrels  and  poUtical  factions, 
it  falls  before  the  might  of  Assyria  in  721.  From  that 
time  the  Kingdom  of  Judah  becomes  the  bearer  of  the 
ancient  tradition,  and  any  remains  that  survive  of  the  rich, 
attractive  Israelite  literature  have  been  preserved  for  pos- 
terity by  the  loving  care  of  the  Jewish  Church. 

The  demand  for  social  righteousness,  and  the  protest 
against  a  showy,  sensuous  ritual  made  in  the  North  by 
Hosea  and  Amos,  were  continued  in  the  Klingdomx  of  Judah 
by  such  men  as  Isaiah  and  Micah.    As  early  as  the  days 


INTRODUCTION 


of  King  Hezekiah,  perhaps  soon  after  the  fall  of  Samaria 
in  721,  some  ineffectual  efforts  towards  reHgious  reform 
seem  to  have  been  made  (2  Kgs.  18:4,  22).  But  the 
desires  and  hopes  of  pious  men  were  disappointed;  "they 
looked  for  the  Messiah  and  got  Manasseh."  The  period 
immediately  following  was  a  time  of  reckless  reaction. 
The  influence  of  Assyria  was  strong  in  reUgion  as  well  as 
in  pontics,  and  many  of  the  ancient  Canaanite  superstitions 
were  revived,  and  threatened  the  very  Ufe  of  the  highest 
Hebrew  religion.  In  those  long  weary  days  of  waiting 
there  were  still  many  noble  men  who  had  not  bowed  the 
knee  to  Baal,  and  in  the  early  years  of  the  reign  of  the 
young  Josiah  they  made  their  influence  felt. 

Josiah's  Law-book.  In  2  Kgs.  22  we  read  a  striking 
story  which  tells  how  a  book  was  found  in  the  temple,  a 
book  destined  to  have  an  immense  influence ;  when  it  was 
read  before  the  king  it  struck  terror  into  his  heart ;  after 
it  had  been  confirmed  by  the  prophetess  Huldah,  it  was 
made  the  basis  of  a  great  reformation.  It  is  now  generally 
accepted  that  the  book  found  in  the  temple  was  none  other 
than  Deuteronomy  in  its  original  form.  Whether  the 
''finding"  was  accidental,  or  is  another  way  of  saying  that 
it  had  been  presented  as  a  message  from  God,  it  is  likely 
that  the  composition  took  place  not  long  before  this  time 
(621),  the  authors,  as  we  have  seen,  using  earlier  material 
for  the  laws,  the  narratives,  and  speeches.  It  was 
evidently  a  short  book  that  could  be  read  through  in  a 
comparatively  brief  time,  and  to  produce  such  an  effect  it 
must  have  contained  exhortations,  warnings,  and  threaten- 
ings  as  well  as  laws.  The  kind  of  reformation  attempted 
by  Josiah  and  his  helpers,  as  well  as  the  celebration  of  the 
Passover  in  his  reign,  agree  with  the  demands  of  Deuteron- 
omy. (See  12:3;  16:2,21.)  Thus  it  is  clear  that  the  book 
comes  into  the  actual  life  of  Israel  towards  the  close  of  the 
seventh  century,  produces  an  immediate  sensation,  and 
leaves  an  abiding  mark  on  the  nation 's  literature  and  life. 
The  main  part  of   what  we  now  possess  in   6-26,  28 


INTRODUCTION 


probably  formed  what  is  called  the  Law-book  of  Josiah. 
We  know  that  the  book  had  a  great  influence  in  the  sphere 
of  politics  and  reUgion,  and,  therefore,  must  have  given 
sharp  stimulus  to  Uterary  activity.  In  those  days  an 
edition  did  not  mean  a  number  of  copies  turned  out  from 
the  printing-press,  each  an  exact  repHca  of  the  other. 
Every  copy  might  have  sUght  differences,  and  it  was 
natural  to  have  different  introductions  and  conclusions 
with  different  editions,  and  the  result  in  our  copy,  which 
did  not  receive  its  final  form  until  some  generations  later, 
is  the  preservation  of  diverse  elements  gathered  together 
by  members  of  this  school.  While  there  is  considerable 
agreement  on  the  point  that  the  "kernel"  of  Deut.  is  the 
twenty-two  chapters  mentioned  above,  there  is  difference 
of  opinion  on  some  small  details ;  hence  we  have  to  use  a 
variety  of  signs  to  symboHze  a  process  which  we  cannot 
here  follow  out  minutely.  D  is  used  for  the  original  form 
of  the  book  ;  D^  for  another  introduction  which  may 
at  one  time  have  been  joined  to  the  legislative  part  of  the 
book ;  D^  means  larger  sections  belonging  to  this  school, 
but  probably  not  appearing  in  the  first  edition ;  D^  denotes 
those  parts  which,  by  a  considerable  consensus  of  critical 
opinion,  are  assigned  to  the  Exile ;  while  D*  has  been  used 
not  for  any  particular  redactor  or  edition,  but  for  the  anno- 
tators  who  added  explanatory  notes  or  harmonistic  links. 
The  other  documentary  symbols  have,  of  course,  the  same 
meaning  here  as  elsewhere.  In  this  commentary  where 
processes  are  not  allowed,  there  are  many  questions  of 
detail  that  must  remain  untouched;  this  is  the  less  to  be 
regretted  when  the  aim  is  merely  to  give  a  broad  outline  of 
the  contents  and  meaning  of  an  ancient  book,  as  in  many 
cases  these  questions  cannot  be  solved.  When  the  ques- 
tions are  asked  with  regard  to  i :  i,  2,  "  What  desert  is 
meant  ?  "  "  Has  Suph  any  connection  with  the  Red  Sea  ?  " 
"Is  Paran  the  desert  or  the  locahty?"  (i  Kgs.  11:18) 
and  so  on  through  Laban,  Hazeroth,  and  Di-zahab,  one  has 
to  answer,  who  knows  ?    Useful  knowledge  is  incidentally 


INTRODUCTION 


acquired  by  the  study  of  such  things,  but  it  is  not  absolutely 
essential  in  our  effort  to  grasp  the  spiritual  significance  of 
the  book. 

Ambitious  and  ingenious  attempts  have  been  made  to 
divide  the  book,  the  speeches  as  well  as  the  legislation, 
into  sources  according  to  the  use  of  the  singular  or  plural 
form  of  address,  "thou"  or  "you."  These  have  caused 
considerable  discussion,  and  though  the  results  have  not 
met  with  general  approval,  they  have  thrown  light  upon 
some  points  of  detail  in  regard  to  language  and  structure. 
While  this  test  is  too  slight  and  variable  to  bear  all  the 
weight  that  has  been  placed  upon  it,  help  may  be  derived 
from  it  in  separating  particular  passages  or  smaller  collec- 
tions of  laws  when  it  exists  along  with  other  criteria. 

The  Character  of  the  Book.  Deuteronomy  in  its  original 
form  may  be  described  as  a  Great  Sermon  and  a  Popular 
Law-book.  In  the  form  in  which  we  now  possess  it  this 
description  suits  fairly  well,  for  there  is  little  in  it  that 
cannot  be  brought  under  these  two  heads.  The  speeches 
and  the  song  have  this  sermonic  character,  and  an  attempt 
has  been  made  to  turn  the  historical  material  of  the  first 
introduction  into  this  form.  By  the  term  popular  as  here 
used  an  effort  is  made  to  convey  the  impression  that  the 
legislation  does  not  consist  of  a  code  or  guide-book  for 
the  priests  who  have  charge  of  the  ritual.  It  is  a  broad 
appeal  to  the  nation,  as  a  whole,  to  bring  its  sacred  services 
and  general  conduct  into  harmony  with  the  divine  require- 
ments, and  so  become  "a  holy  nation."  These  laws  are 
therefore  presented  in  a  persuasive  form,  with  motives  and 
reasons  from  life  and  history.  Some  of  the  paragraphs  of 
the  "Code"  consist  largely  of  exhortations  to  avoid  contact 
with  heathen  practices,  and  to  cherish  brotherliness  within 
the  community.  Many  of  the  laws  also  have  an  ideal 
character,  their  purpose  and  effect  being  more  to  express  a 
theological  aim  and  religious  ideal,  than  to  control  actual 
facts  of  life.  The  central  thoughts  will  perhaps  be  more 
appropriately  considered  when  we  have   set   forth   the 

13 


INTRODUCTION 


purpose  of  the  book;  meanwhile,  remarks  of  a  more 
general  character  may  help  to  recreate  the  atmosphere  in 
which  the  writers  move. 

It  is  evident  that  such  a  book  does  not  belong  to  the 
beginning  of  the  nation's  Ufe,  for  one  of  its  most  marked 
features  is  the  way  in  which  its  history  is  treated  as  an 
object  of  study,  and  interpreted  in  the  Hght  of  prophetic 
teaching.  The  writers  have  no  new  facts  to  give  us; 
almost  every  statement  can  be  paralleled  from  the  older 
records;  that  which  is  new  is  the  treatment  of  history. 
The  earlier  narrations  of  the  Pentateuch  are  only  slightly 
touched  by  reflection,  and  have  little  theology  in  the 
stricter  sense  of  that  term.  Here  it  is  different.  Our 
authors  are  religious  thinkers  rather  than  story-tellers. 
The  story  in  itself  is  subordinate  to  the  idea;  and  the 
history  is  treated,  not  for  its  own  sake,  nor  for  the  attrac- 
tiveness of  its  incidents,  but  as  the  revelation  of  certain 
great  truths  concerning  the  character  of  Israel's  God  in 
his  relation  to  the  nation.  The  inspiration  of  [the  book  is 
seen  in  its  clear,  first-hand  recognition  of  this  great  truth. 
The  story  of  the  past  is  the  story  of  God's  creation  and 
training  of  a  nation  for  noble  ends.  We  do  not  here  quite 
reach  the  height  that  is  attained  in  Deutero-Isaiah  (Isa.  42 : 
1-4),  when  the  prophet  sees  that  the  end  of  this  training 
is  not  complete  in  Israel  itself,  but  has  a  beneficent  aim 
towards  the  world  at  large.  But  we  are  now  on  the  way 
to  that  conception  of  election,  as  a  call  to  world-wide 
service,  which  is  the  loftiest  thought  of  pre-Christian 
theology.  Looking  at  one  side  only,  we  might  suppose  that 
the  "intolerance"  of  Deuteronomy  was  quite  opposed  to 
any  such  missionary  idea,  but  on  the  other  side,  the  lofty 
monotheism  of  our  book,  even  if  not  yet  absolute,  is  the 
essential  preparation  for  any  real  missionary  service. 

Thus,  we  reach  another  definition  of  the  character  of  the 
book;  it  is  a  noble  blending  of  the  best  elements  of  the 
prophetic  and  priestly  activities  in  the  religion  of  Israel. 
The  fact  that  it  is  so  difficult  to  decide  whether  we  ought 

14 


INTRODUCTION 


to  ascribe  the  book  to  one  circle  or  the  other  teaches  us 
that  we  must  not  separate  too  widely  these  two  rehgious 
forces.  There  were  noble  priests  as  well  as  great  prophets. 
In  the  earliest  days  there  was  not  such  a  large  difference 
between  the  work  of  prophets  and  priests ;  and  while  men 
like  Amos,  Isaiah,  and  Micah  criticised  the  vain  worship 
and  social  corruptions  of  their  times,  they  did  not  imagine 
that  law  and  ritual  could  be  dispensed  with  altogether. 
In  this  book,  then,  meant  to  meet  certain  very  definite 
national  needs,  an  attempt  is  made  to  reduce  to  practical 
form,  as  a  working  creed  and  a  moral  guide,  the  teaching 
of  the  great  prophets.  In  post-ExiUc  Judaism,  when  the 
priestly  legislation  was  elaborated  to  cover  every  detail  of 
worship,  there  was  not  much  room  for  prophetic  influence, 
but  even  then  it  was  not  possible  to  compress  the  life  of  a  liv- 
ing nation  into  narrow  bounds ;  and  if  Deuteronomy,  with 
its  demand  for  conformity  to  an  objective  standard,  began 
the  work  of  repression,  it  contained  in  itself,  in  part  at 
least,  some  healing  for  the  wounds  that  it  made,  as  it  laid 
stress  on  study,  and  in  a  certain  sense  gave  rise  to  the  school 
(synagogue).  In  the  meantime  the  creative  period  has 
not  come  to  a  close.  We  are  in  the  broad  stream  of  a  great 
progressive  movement,  and  can  recognize  that  in  this  fate- 
ful period  many  inspired  men,  seeking  the  good  of  their 
own  nation,  are  preparing  large  blessings  for  the  Hfe  of 
the  world.  Here  Hosea's  thought  of  the  love  of  Yahweh 
for  his  people  and  the  tender  relationship  between  the  two 
find  varied  expression  in  history,  sermon,  and  law.  The 
strong  demand  for  social  righteousness  —  fairness  between 
man  and  man,  impartial  administration  of  justice  and 
manifestation  of  landness  to  the  needy  —  which  was 
presented  in  such  powerful,  passionate  appeals  by  the  great 
prophets,  is  here  provided  with  historical  justification  and 
reduced  to  specific  laws.  The  strong  humanitarian  strain 
in  the  book,  shown  in  the  slightly  improved  position  of 
women,  the  care  of  the  Levites,  widows,  orphans,  and 
sojourners,  even  including  the  brute  beasts,  is  no  doubt 

IS 


INTRODUCTION 


traceable  to  this  source.  The  result  is  a  book  of  varied 
character  which,  in  the  name  of  loyalty  to  Yahweh, 
demands  not  only  correct  worship,  but  also  a  national 
life  based  upon  the  idea  of  brotherhood,  and  calling  for 
mutual  helpfulness. 

The  Purpose  of  the  Book.  This  was,  as  we  have  already 
seen,  to  produce  a  rehgious  reformation,  and  we  know  from 
the  testimony  of  the  historians  and  prophets  of  this  period 
that  there  was  great  need  for  such  a  movement.  The 
Israelites  did  not  bring  with  them  into  Palestine  a  com- 
pletely finished  ritual  and  code  of  laws.  Their  laws, 
largely  a  matter  of  custom,  were  few  and  simple,  as  was 
also  their  ritual,  which  was  based  on  tradition,  and  varied 
as  to  time  and  place.  The  primitive  altar  of  earth  could 
be  built  and  used  in  any  place  where  God  manifested 
himself  (Exod.  20 :  24).  In  the  period  of  the  Judges  there 
were  many  local  altars  and  a  wide  variety  of  religious 
practice;  in  this  respect  also  "every  man  did  that  which 
was  right  in  his  own  eyes"  (Judg.  21:25).  Even  thus 
early  there  may  have  been  an  attempt  towards  centrali- 
zation and  monarchy,  associated  with  the  popular  cry, 
"the  sword  of  Yahweh  and  of  Gideon."  In  the  days 
of  Samuel  the  offering  of  sacrifice  was  not  confined  to 
one  place,  but  the  sanctuary  at  Shiloh  held  a  prominent 
position.  When  David  established  his  capital  at  Jeru- 
salem, and  brought  the  ark  there,  the  long  eventful 
history  of  that  city  began.  It  must  at  once  have  become 
a  sacred  place  for  the  tribe  of  Judah,  but  the  schism  and 
its  results  showed  that  the  ancient  sanctuaries  of  the 
North,  from  Bethel  to  Dan,  had  retained  much  of  their 
prestige  and  attractiveness.  All  through  these  times  of 
political  struggle  there  was  danger  that  the  religion  of 
the  Hebrew  people  would  become  weak  and  corrupt, 
altogether  like  that  of  their  neighbors.  Elijah,  one  of  the 
greatest  men  in  the  pre-literary  period,  fought  with  fierce 
heroism  against  the  encroachments  of  the  Tyrian  Baal. 
He  contended  against  a  foreign  religion,  and  denounced 

16 


I 


A 


INTRODUCTION 


the  creed  of  Ahab,  but  he  had  nothing  to  say  about  a  single 
altar,  his  cry  being,  "They  have  broken  down  thine  altars.^' 
There  may  have  been  a  desire  for  centraHzation  about  two 
centuries  later  after  the  ruin  of  the  Northern  Kingdom, 
but  the  real  struggle  for  reform  came  in  the  reign  of  Josiah 
when  the  comparative  smallness  of  the  country  rendered  it 
possible.  Elijah  denounced  the  worship  of  a  foreign  god ; 
Amos  and  Isaiah  denounced  the  giving  to  Yahweh  wor- 
ship that  was  fit  only  for  small  heathen  gods.  But  the  place 
of  worship  did  not  occupy  a  large  part  of  their  thoughts. 
Now,  however,  pious  men  have  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  these  rural  sanctuaries  are  the  source  of  all  religious 
corruption,  and  that  the  worship  of  the  One  God,  in  pure, 
decent  forms,  can  only  be  carried  on  with  safety  at  one 
central,  sacred  place.  They  may  learn  afterwards  that 
even  this  place  may  become  a  centre  of  impure  worship 
and  narrow  bigotry,  but  in  the  meantime  they  press  for- 
ward to  their  goal  with  that  hopefulness  which  God  gra- 
ciously gives  to  all  reformers.  These  men  are  fighting 
against  idolatry  in  various  forms,  and  against  what  they 
now  consider  to  be  irregular  worship  of  Yahweh  in  heathen- 
ish surroundings  and  dress.  They  are  in  their  own  way 
Puritans,  and  it  is  one  of  the  clearest  lessons  of  history  that 
the  world  owes  a  great  debt  of  gratitude  to  those  who  have 
fought  similar  battles  at  different  epochs.  This  class  of 
men,  like  all  others,  have  the  limitations  and  the  defects 
of  their  qualities,  but  they  are  moved  by  a  fiery  earnest- 
ness which  is  inspired  by  the  noble  belief  that  there  is  a 
Great  God  and  an  everlasting  truth,  a  real  basis  of  national 
life  and  a  hope  of  enduring  righteousness. 

IV.  The  Fundamental  Idea  and  the  Fundamental 
Law 

Some  great  ideas  have  already  been  mentioned,  but  it 
is  important  that  we  should  set  in  the  central  position  the 
supreme  truth,  namely,  that  concerning  the  uniqueness  of 
c  17 


INTRODUCTION 


Yahweh  the  national  God  of  Israel.  In  the  earliest  days 
there  was  monolatry  in  Israel,  that  is,  the  worship  of  one 
God  without  denying  the  existence  of  other  gods,  and 
comparatively  free  from  theological  speculation.  This 
was  in  danger  from  superstitious  customs  handed  down 
from  ancient  times,  as  well  as  from  the  popular  tendency 
to  seek  divine  help  by  paying  homage  to  any  god  whose 
followers  had  achieved  worldly  success.  Against  this 
syncretism  or  mixing  of  religions  a  constant  warfare  had 
to  be  maintained  by  those  prophets  to  whom  the  true  God 
had  given  a  fuller  and  clearer  revelation  of  himself.  When 
Amos,  in  the  first  chapter  of  his  book,  as  the  representative 
of  Yahweh,  lays  down  laws  of  justice  and  kindness  that 
are  regarded  as  binding  upon  men,  independent  of  the 
territory  that  they  occupy,  or  the  clan  name  that  they 
bear,  ethical  monotheism  comes  into  the  world  of  religious 
thought.  If  there  are  different  gods  there  may  be  different 
moral  codes,  and  the  demands  of  the  law  of  the  god  will 
apply  only  to  his  own  people.  The  prophetic  teaching 
passes  beyond  that  tribal  point  of  view,  but  Amos  and 
Isaiah  do  not  work  out,  as  theologians,  all  that  is  implied 
in  their  message,  and  it  is  not  necessary  to  suppose  that 
they  are  conscious  of  its  full  import.  God  sees  the  be- 
ginning and  end  of  a  great  movement,  but  even  great  men 
see  only  the  part  with  which  they  are  immediately  con- 
cerned. We  have  come  to  the  next  stage  in  Deuteronomy ; 
reflection  has  been  at  work,  and  men  are  endeavoring  to 
state  clearly  the  intellectual  impKcations,  as  well  as  the 
practical  consequences  of  this  great  faith.  We  cannot  say 
that  absolute  monotheism  has  been  attained,  though  an 
advanced  stage  in  that  direction  has  been  reached.  When 
we  use  the  word  Lord  now,  we  think  of  One  living  God  who 
rules,  not  only  this  round  earth,  but  the  whole  ordered 
universe,  by  means  of  physical  and  moral  laws  that  are 
the  same  in  all  times  and  places.  That  point  of  view  is 
the  highest  achievement  of  the  noblest  thought  of  all  the 
ages,  and  has  under  the  guidance  of  God  been  wrought  out 

i8 


INTRODUCTION 


with  great  difficulty,  and  by  the  cooperation  of  a  great 
variety  of  spiritual  forces.  Judaism  never  came  to  that 
position  in  its  pre-Christian  days.  There  always  clings  to 
it  a  national  atmosphere  in  the  Hght  of  which  these  noble 
truths  assume  wider  or  narrower  forms.  Hence,  we  do  well 
to  retain  the  name  of  the  original  Jehovah,  or  Yahweh, 
as  designating  a  personal,  national  God.  This  makes  it 
difficult  to  define  in  precise  terms  the  Deuteronomic 
position,  the  faith  that  Yahweh  is  supreme  and  incompar- 
able, one  in  his  own  nature,  the  only  God  of  Israel,  and  the 
Lord  of  the  world.  The  other  claimants  for  man 's  worship, 
like  the  sun  and  stars,  are  merely  creatures,  or  they  may  be 
demons,  or  angels,  having  from  God  powers  or  place  in  the 
wide  world,  but  no  vital  relationship  to  the  reUgious  life  of 
Israel. 

Israel  as  a  nation  was  created  and  called  by  this  one 
supreme  God  who  has  shown  his  power  and  his  love  in  the 
long  range  of  history.  The  promises  given  to  the  fathers 
have  been  abundantly  fulfilled.  A  glorious  land  has  been 
given  to  the  nation  in  which  to  work  out  its  destiny.  Its 
blessings  come  not  from  the  Canaanite  Baals,  but  from  the 
Lord  of  heaven  and  earth.  And  in  order  that  this  land 
may  be  made  a  place  of  prosperity  and  peace,  there  must 
be  righteousness  in  every  sphere  of  the  nation's  life;  a 
church  with  pure  worship,  a  community  based  upon  the 
impartial  administration  of  justice,  a  brotherhood  of  men 
united  by  bonds  of  sympathy  to  their  God  and  to  each 
other,  and  offering  a  fierce  resistance  to  the  entrance  of 
unbelief  and  superstition  from  outside. 

The  Fundamental  Law.  It  was  not  expected  that  the 
most  powerful  preaching  could  alone  accomplish  this  result. 
If  the  nation  is  to  become  righteous  so  that  its  life  shall  be 
acceptable  to  God,  and  the  punishment  threatened  by  the 
prophets  be  warded  off  forever,  then  proper  regulations 
must  be  made  to  guide  this  national  life  so  as  to  produce 
pure  worship  and  social  goodness.  The  Fundamental 
Law  is  the  law  of  centralization,  the  demand  that  only  in 

19 


INTRODUCTION 


one  place  shall  sacrifice  be  made  to  Yahweh.  To  us,  with 
our  modern  ideas,  this  seems  contradictory,  since  from  the 
fact  of  one  God  we  draw  the  conclusion  that  the  supreme 
Lord  may  be  worshipped  in  any  place  where  men  have  the 
true  spirit  of  worship  (Jn.  4:22).  But  we  must  remember 
that  the  consistency  of  abstract  logic  is  one  thing,  the 
advancement  through  actual  forms  of  history  another 
thing.  In  order  to  destroy  certain  corrupt  and  degrading 
forms  of  worship  it  was  necessary  to  disestablish  the  rural 
sanctuaries ;  and  in  the  thought  of  that  time  the  special 
sanctity  of  Jerusalem  was  connected  with  the  fight  against 
idolatry,  and  the  struggle  for  the  oneness  and  the  su- 
premacy of  Yahweh.  Thus  we  can  understand  that  the 
noble  creed  of  6:4,  setting  forth  the  sublime  nature  of 
Israel's  God  and  the  spirituaHty  of  the  worship  that  is 
due  to  him,  becomes  the  heart  of  the  Deuteronomic  teach- 
ing,—  the  warning  against  the  use  of  images,  and  the  com- 
mand to  root  out  the  sacred  pillars  and  poles,  being  an 
application  of  it  to  the  needs  of  the  times.  The  demand 
for  one,  exclusive  sanctuary  is  the  centre  of  the  legislation. 

We  are  justified  in  calling  the  law  of  centralization  the 
fundamental  law  because  so  many  of  the  requirements  in 
this  code  spring  immediately  from  it,  or  are  in  some  way 
related  to  it.  Those  parts  of  the  legislation  that  cannot 
be  so  regarded  are  either  republications  of  earlier  laws  or 
later  additions.  The  following  ordinances,  then,  should  be 
noted  as  made  necessary  by  this  fundamental  law. 

I.  Sacrifice  and  Profane  Slaughter.  The  Hebrews  were 
a  people  who  lived  a  simple  fife  so  far  as  food  was  concerned. 
Flesh  meat  was  not  a  regular  article  of  diet,  and  only 
occasionally,  at  a  family  or  tribal  festival,  or  on  the  arrival 
of  an  honored  guest,  were  animals  slaughtered  for  food. 
In  the  early  days  every  act  of  slaughter  of  this  kind  was 
also  an  act  of  sacrifice,  and  the  blood  was  poured  out  at  a 
sanctuary,  or  upon  some  sacred  stone;  the  word  used  to 
denote  this  act  had  this  double  meaning  of  slaughter  and 
sacrifice.    In  Chapter  12  it  is  clearly  recognized  that  it  is 


INTRODUCTION 


impossible  to  maintain  this  identity  when  all  sacrifices 
must  be  offered  in  one  place,  hence  a  distinction  is  clearly 
drawn  between  sacred  slaughter  or  sacrifice  and  secular 
killing.  The  latter  may  now  take  place  at  the  distant 
home  of  the  Israelite,  who  must  be  careful  to  observe  the 
ancient  prohibition  against  the  eating  of  blood.  Thus,  a 
line  is  drawn  in  this  particular  between  the  sacred  and  the 
secular,  between  the  common  Hfe  of  the  home  and  the 
sacred  ofiices  of  the  church.  This  division  was  needful  at 
the  time,  and  tended  to  raise  religion  to  a  higher  intellectual 
plane.  In  the  later  ritual  these  sacrifices  were  invested 
with  a  still  deeper  symbolic  meaning,  but  we  must  always 
be  on  our  guard  against  a  mechanical  division  of  our  own 
fife  into  sacred  and  secular. 

2.  The  Cities  of  Refuge.  In  the  olden  time  sanctuaries 
were  places  where  men,  who  had  put  themselves  in  danger 
by  shedding  blood  or  by  some  other  violation  of  the  law, 
could  flee  for  refuge,  and  find  either  temporary  respite  or 
permanent  shelter  (i  Kgs.  2 :  29).  In  extreme  cases  the 
sanctity  of  the  altar  was  of  no  avail,  but  it  is  evident  that 
the  custom  of  seeking  refuge  at  such  places  was  ancient. 
Traces  of  it  continued  in  some  form  down  to  late  times  in 
connection  with  the  cathedrals  and  monasteries;  and  it 
is  easy  to  understand  such  institutions  as  belonging  to 
times  when  there  was  no  elaborate  legal  code,  and  the 
exaction  of  punishment  for  wrongs  inflicted  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  next  of  kin.  The  line  between  public  justice 
and  private  revenge  was  not  clearly  drawn.  The  point 
now  is  that  the  abolition  of  the  local  sanctuaries  called 
for  the  establishment  of  certain  cities  that  would  be  in- 
vested with  this  particular  privilege  that  those  sanctuaries 
had  formerly  possessed ;  hence  the  command  is  given  that 
such  cities  shall  be  appointed  in  various  parts  of  the  land 
according  to  the  size  of  the  territory  (19 :  1-13). 

3.  The  Leviks.  The  generous  and  humane  spirit  of 
Deuteronomy  is  seen  in  its  treatment  of  the  Levites,  the 
priests  who  had  exercised  their  functions  at  the  country 


INTRODUCTION 


sanctuaries.  They  are  not  attacked  in  any  fierce,  revenge- 
ful spirit,  but  it  is  expressly  stipulated  that  if  they  come 
willingly  to  Jerusalem,  they  shall  have  the  privilege  of 
ministering,  and  shall  find  maintenance  there.  Those 
that  are  scattered  through  the  land  are,  by  frequent  ex- 
hortations found  in  various  parts  of  the  book,  commended 
to  the  sympathy  and  care  of  the  people  (i8:6-8;  12: 
18,  19;  14:  27,  29).  The  position  taken  is  that  the  tribe 
of  Levi  is  to  have  a  monopoly  of  priestly  rights  and  duties, 
and  that  from  this  tribe  alone  must  men  be  chosen  to  ofifer 
sacrifice,  and  to  perform  the  other  ministerial  duties  at 
the  one  sanctuary.  Provision  for  them,  on  a  modest  scale, 
must  be  made  from  the  offerings  presented  at  the  altar, 
and  from  the  gifts  of  the  people.  But  we  have  not  yet 
reached  the  final  development,  when  a  part  of  this  tribe 
was  selected  for  priestly  service,  and  the  rest  reduced  to  a 
lower  order  of  clergy,  or  temple  servants.  Here,  as 
elsewhere,  Deuteronomy  stands  in  a  halfway  position. 
In  the  earliest  times  the  head  of  the  family,  or  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  tribe,  offered  sacrifices  (Judg.  6 :  26 ; 
I  Sam.  14:34;  I  Kgs.  8),  and  in  the  late  Jewish  period 
all  such  acts  were  confined  to  the  priesthood  which  was 
divided  into  high  priest,  priests,  and  Levites.  How  the 
tribe  of  Levi  came  to  lose  altogether  its  secular  character 
and  become  completely  devoted  to  priestly  service  is  not 
quite  clear.  Probably  the  wars  in  which  it  lost  large 
numbers  of  its  men  were  imdertaken  from  zeal  for  the  name 
of  Yahweh,  and  thus  the  survivors,  in  clinging  to  this 
service,  were  faithful  to  the  most  ancient  traditions  of  their 
clan.  In  the  present  book  all  Levites  are  regarded  as 
priests,  and  an  attempt  is  made  to  guard  them  from 
suffering  as  a  result  of  its  fundamental  law.  In  the  later 
Priestly  Code  the  tribe  is  differently  treated ;  its  organi- 
zation and  revenues  are  different,  and  Levite  does  not 
mean  any  member  of  the  tribe  as  in  Deut.,  but  those  who 
are  not  descendants  of  Aaron,  that  is,  not  priest  in  the 
strictest  sense.    The  benevolent  intentions  of  the  Deutero- 


INTRODUCTION 


nomic  Code,  with  regard  to  the  Levites,  evidently  could 
not  be  carried  out,  but  they  show  both  the  kindly  spirit  of 
its  authors,  and  the  thoroughness  with  which  they  sought  to 
make  practical  provision  for  the  carrying  out  of  their  law. 
The  Laws  concerning  Officers  of  Justice.  In  the  early 
days,  before  the  working  out  of  special  organizations  for 
the  various  departments  of  social  and  civic  Ufe,  the  priests 
played  a  leading  part  in  the  dispensation  of  justice  (Isa. 
28 :  7).  Where  the  thing  could  not  be  settled  by  mutual 
agreement,  or  friendly  arbitration  of  neighbors,  men  had 
recourse  to  the  oracle  in  charge  of  the  priest  at  the  local 
sanctuary.  The  disestablishment  of  the  sanctuaries,  then, 
must  call  for  new  regulations  in  regard  to  the  adminis- 
tration of  justice,  since  justice  is  quite  as  much  a  need  of 
daily  life  as  food.  It  is  evident  that  the  dispensing  of 
justice  could  not  be  confined  to  Jerusalem,  and  that  the 
priests  could  not  altogether  lose  their  position  as  judges. 
Hence,  we  read  in  10:  18,  "Judges  and  officers  shalt  thou 
make  thee  in  all  thy  gates,  which  Yahweh  thy  God  giveth 
thee,  according  to  thy  tribes,  and  they  shall  judge  the  people 
with  righteous  judgment."  Of  course  there  were  judges 
of  this  kind  earlier  in  Israel.  The  elders  of  villages  or 
towns  held  this  position,  but  the  relations  of  these  new 
judges  to  the  elders  is  not  clear.  The  present  law  may  be 
regarded  as  giving  a  general  legal  position  to  local  magis- 
trates of  a  non-priestly  class  who  shall,  in  this  respect, 
compensate  for  any  loss  suffered  by  the  removal  of  the 
sanctuaries  and  deciding  oracles.  But  a  supreme  place,  as 
a  court  of  final  appeal,  is  reserved  for  "the  priests  the 
Levites,"  as  any  matter  that  is  "too  hard  for  thee  in 
judgement,  between  blood  and  blood,  between  plea  and 
plea,  between  stroke  and  stroke,  being  matters  of  con- 
troversy within  thy  gates,"  shall  be  taken  to  Jerusalem  for 
final  settlement,  and  the  man  who  does  not  accept  this 
decision  shall  die.  (Compare  with  this  i :  9-18.)  In  this 
way  the  priest  retains  a  dignified  position  as  head  of  the 
judicial  system,  and  provision  is  made  for  the  local  needs. 

23 


INTRODUCTION 


Thus,  many  of  the  regulations  in  Deut.  spring  from  its 
central  law  by  which  the  reformation  is  to  be  made  effec- 
tive ;  others  are  a  republication  of  older  laws,  and,  even  in 
the  case  of  those  for  which  we  can  find  no  written  parallel, 
it  is  possible  that  many  have  existed  in  earlier  codes.  The 
law  of  the  king  (17 :  14)  is  meant  to  bring  the  highest 
civil  authorities  into  sympathy  with  the  aims  and  purposes 
of  Deuteronomy;  while  the  law  of  the  prophet  expresses 
the  idea  that  certain  great  truths  have  been  reached  that 
no  new  revelation  can  annul.  The  miscellaneous  laws 
which  do  not  occur  elsewhere  are  in  some  cases  survivals 
from  earlier  times;  e.g.  we  read  in  19:  14,  "Thou  shalt  not 
remove  thy  neighbour's  landmark,"  etc.  (cf.  Hos.  5 :  10; 
Prov.  22 :  28),  and  we  know  that  other  ancient  nations 
placed  the  boundary  stones  under  the  protection  of  the 
gods,  and  regarded  them  as  sacred  (cf.  21 :  22-23 ;  22:5, 
9-1 1).  These  laws  may  express  an  advanced  feeHng  of 
humanity,  as  in  the  treatment  of  female  captives  (21 :  10- 
14),  or  a  later  theological  idea  (24:16),  the  family  of 
the  criminal  is  not  to  suffer  with  him ;  or  we  may  have  in 
the  form  of  legal  precepts  protests  against  specific  heathen 
customs  (14:21;  22:5).  Thus,  while  there  is  much 
diversity  in  this  collection  of  laws,  yet,  on  careful  examina- 
tion, a  very  large  number  of  its  ordinances  can  be  cor- 
related to  the  central  ideas  of  the  book.  If  it  lacks  some- 
thing of  systematic  smoothness,  there  is  a  Uving  logic  at 
the  heart  of  it. 

V.    Its  Religious  Significance  and  Permanent 
Influence 

A  book  of  this  kind,  appearing  at  a  critical  period  in  the 
nation's  Hfe,  was  bound  to  exert  a  powerful  influence. 
There  were  only  the  two  alternatives,  that  it  should  be 
rejected  and  cast  aside,  or  that  it  should  make  a  deep  and 
lasting  mark  on  the  life  of  Judah,  and  through  it  on  the 
life  of  the  world.    The  result  is  written  clearly  before  us 

24 


INTRODUCTION 


on  the  pages  of  the  history.  The  catastrophe  was  not 
averted,  the  judgment  came,  swift  and  sure,  so  that  the 
attempt  to  bring  at  once  a  kingdom  of  God  on  earth  by 
the  means  of  strict  obedience  to  a  definite  number  of  laws 
was  a  disappointment,  as  such  attempts  must  always  be. 
But,  notwithstanding  this  apparent  failure,  the  document 
had  a  far-reaching  influence  of  which  its  authors  never 
dreamed.  It  is  likely  that  if  this  small  community  could 
have  been  allowed  quietly  to  work  out  its  own  destiny  free 
from  foreign  interference,  the  struggle  of  the  reformers 
might  have  been  crowned  with  a  certain  measure  of  success, 
so  far  as  the  acceptance  of  a  purer  faith  and  a  more  thor- 
oughly defined  church  constitution  could  secure  it.  An 
illustration  of  this  fact  may  be  seen  in  the  building  up  of 
the  later  Jewish  Church,  under  the  influence  of  the  Priestly 
Code,  after  the  year  444  B.C.,  when  the  community  being 
a  small  province  of  the  great  Persian  empire,  lost  all  power 
of  negotiation  with  foreign  countries,  and  was  kept  free 
from  outside  interference  by  the  protection  of  the  imperial 
edicts.  The  downfall  of  the  nation,  which  took  place  a 
quarter  of  a  century  after  the  acceptance  of  Deuter- 
onomy, in  some  respects  hastened  matters,  and  in  others 
gave  them  a  somewhat  different  turn.  It  has  been  said 
that  Deuteronomy  destroyed  the  nation  but  created  the 
Church.  Perhaps  it  would  be  safer  to  say  that  when 
the  nation  was  broken,  and  its  leaders  carried  into 
captivity,  this  book  was  one  of  the  strongest  forces 
that  saved  the  religion  by  giving  a  living  interpre- 
tation of  history,  and  sketching  in  broad  outline  the  con- 
stitution of  a  national  Church.  As  is  well  known,  the 
Jewish  Church  was  built  on  the  lines  suggested  by  Ezekiel, 
and  on  the  basis  of  the  Priestly  Code,  but,  in  the  two 
centuries  that  intervened  between  the  Law-book  of  Josiah 
and  that  of  Ezra,  the  Deuteronomic  influence  had  been 
powerful,  and  even  after  the  acceptance  of  Ezra's  Law- 
book this  influence  was  not  altogether  superseded. 
In  captivity  the  men  of  feeble  faith  were  overwhelmed, 

25 


INTRODUCTION 


but  those  who  maintained  an  unfaltering  conviction  in 
Yahweh's  supreme  power  began  to  realize  even  more 
fully  the  glorious  significance  of  their  past  history,  and 
carried  on  the  warfare  against  idolatry  with  even  fiercer 
zeal.  The  vigorous  polemic  of  such  passages  as  Jer.  lo: 
1-6;  Isa.  44 :  9  ff.  probably  belongs  to  this  period.  It  can 
be  easily  understood  that  while  the  local  superstitions 
might  linger  on  in  Palestine,  those  who  had  to  fight  for 
their  faith  in  a  foreign  land  would  cut  themselves  clear 
from  that  questionable  part  of  their  past.  Thus,  image- 
worship  disappears  forever  from  the  religion  of  the  Jews. 

When  there  was  no  temple  in  existence,  and  no  altar 
could  possibly  be  built  in  a  profane  land,  the  Babylonian 
exiles  were  thrown  back  upon  the  great  thought  of  Deu- 
teronomy, that  religion  is  a  matter  for  study,  conversation, 
and  teaching.  They  met  together  on  the  Sabbath  day  by 
the  sides  of  rivers,  or  elsewhere,  and  attempted  to  sing  the 
songs  of  Zion  and  ofifer  prayer  unto  their  God.  The  simple 
form  of  worship,  consisting  of  prayer,  praise,  and  the  ex- 
position of  the  Word,  which  persists  in  the  Jewish  syn- 
agogue, and  in  many  forms  of  Christianity,  began  and 
gained  strength  in  those  dark  hours.  It  meant  much  for 
those  struggUng  saints;  it  was  their  only  solace  and  in- 
spiration ;  and  as  we  can  now  see  clearly,  it  meant  much 
for  the  world,  for  there  was  formed,  not  only  a  plan  to  build 
a  church  which  would  be  an  external  protection  for  the 
rehgion,  but  a  purpose  to  gather  together  all  that  was 
noblest  in  their  past  literature,  and  so  contribute  to  the 
Book  that  was  to  be  "Yahweh  for  a  name,  for  an  ever- 
lasting sign  that  shall  not  be  cut  off." 

It  has  oftened  been  declared  that  Deuteronomy  made 
religion  to  be  more  than  in  the  past  a  thing  of  the  book. 
That  is  a  significant  fact  which  needs  considering.  The 
greatest  religions  of  the  world  have  sacred  books,  and 
while  there  goes  with  the  book  the  danger  of  slavish  lit- 
eralism, there  goes  with  it,  also,  the  possibility  of  in- 
tellectual quickening  and  spiritual  inspiration.    But  it  is 

26 


INTRODUCTION 


well  to  note  here,  that  when  in  order  to  root  out  idolatry, 
worship,  in  the  sense  of  sacrificial  offerings,  was  limited 
to  one  place,  and  when  the  Priestly  Code  carried  this  idea 
still  further,  and  gave  that  side  of  religion  completely  into 
the  hands  of  the  priests,  the  idea  of  teaching,  which  Deuter- 
onomy had  made  prominent,  came  into  fuller  play,  and 
the  synagogue  with  its  schools  began  to  give  to  Judaism 
the  distinctive  character  that  it  has  never  lost.  There 
we  must  look  for  both  the  weakness  and  the  strength  of 
Judaism,  excessive  worship  of  the  past  and  barren, 
Rabbinic  quibbling,  but  also  clear  faith  in  one  God,  and  a 
tenacity  of  purpose,  that  have  handed  down  the  faith  from 
generation  to  generation  in  spite  of  increasing  persecution. 
If  much  that  was  picturesque  and  poetic  in  the  ancient 
faith  and  custom  was  destroyed,  that  is  only  one  form  of 
the  price  that  had  to  be  paid  for  progress. 

The  character  of  the  post-Exilic  literature  shows  that 
there  was  great  intellectual  activity  among  men  of  Hebrew 
race  and  rehgion;  and  the  real  evidence  for  this  is  the 
so-called  Wisdom  Literature,  with  its  universal  outlook, 
and  calm  reflection  upon  all  the  facts  of  hfe.  It  is  true 
that  preachers  of  the  type  of  Haggai  and  Zechariah  have 
not  either  the  natural  gifts  or  the  immediate  inspiration  of 
Amos  and  Isaiah,  and  we  must  admit  that  the  strong 
emphasis  laid  by  Deuteronomy  on  the  written  law  and 
the  objective  standard  tends  at  first  to  lessen  individual 
originality.  But  nowhere  can  we  find  keener,  more 
passionate,  or  more  brilliant  criticism  of  accepted  dogma, 
than  in  those  remarkable  books,  Job  and  Ecclesiastes. 
The  doctrine  that  had  been  overemphasized  by  writers 
of  the  secondary  Deuteronomic  school  was  subjected  to  the 
most  fiery  test,  and  it  was  proved  that  the  formula.  Do 
good  and  you  will  prosper,  he  wicked  and  you  will  sufer, 
while  it  contains  vital  and  abiding  truth  is  not  the  whole 
of  theology,  or  the  sum  and  substance  of  religion. 

If  we  are  still  compelled  to  class  Deuteronomy  as  a 
book  of  national  religion,  and  confess  that  it  was  held 

27 


INTRODUCTION 


within  those  Hmitations  that  encompass  even  the  noblest 
parts  of  the  Old  Testament,  we  gladly  acknowledge  that 
there  is  a  prophetic  element  in  it  that  looks  forward  with 
yearning  desire  for  a  richer  liberty.  There  are  in  it  real 
beginnings  of  the  highest  personal  faith  and  the  deepest 
spiritual  religion.  The  noblest  summary  of  human  duty 
given  by  our  Lord  to  an  inquiring  soul  connects  itself 
with  this  book,  and  shows  us  that  it  has  not  waited  in 
vain  for  its  fulfilment  (6:5).  (Compare  with  Matt.  22: 
37.)  In  the  commentary  we  have  frankly  tried  to  point 
out  that  the  conceptions  of  the  world  and  religion  that 
lie  behind  the  most  primitive  things  preserved  in  our  book 
belong  to  a  world  quite  different  from  our  own.  As  we 
conclude,  it  is  well  to  remember  once  more,  that  our 
larger,  richer  world  of  thought  has  been  created  for  us  by 
the  men  of  the  past,  and  that  among  those  forces  which 
helped  to  lift  religion  to  a  higher  plane,  and  bring  a  larger, 
loftier  thought  of  God,  Deuteronomy  must  always  be 
reckoned.  A  book,  which  in  the  order  of  God's  gracious 
providence  has  been  so  creative  in  the  past,  has  surely  an 
important  part  still  to  play. 

Analysis  of  Deuteronomy 

A.    Introductory  Narratives  and  Discourses;   i :  i-ii :  32. 

I.  The  First  Introduction ;  i  :  1-4 :  43. 
(i)  General  superscription ;  i :  1-5. 

(2)  Historical  retrospect ;  i :  6-3  :  29. 

(3)  A  series  of  exhortations ;  4 : 1-40. 

(4)  Statement  of  appointment  of  Cities  of  Refuge; 

4 :  41-43. 
II.  The  Second  Introduction ;  4 :  44-11 :  32. 
(i)  A  new  superscription ;  4 :  44-49. 
(2)  Discourse  of  Moses  recalling  the   Covenant  at 

Horeb  and  the  Ten  Commandments ;   5  :  i- 

33- 

28 


INTRODUCTION 


(3)  The  Great  Exhortation ;  5  :  i-ii :  32  (except  9 :  7b- 
10:9). 

(a)  Superscription ;  6 : 1-3. 

(b)  Exhortation  to  worship  Yahweh  in  love ;  6 : 4- 

9. 

(c)  Not  to  forget  Yahweh  in  the  Promised  Land ; 

6 :  10-19. 

(d)  To  instruct  future  generations;   6:  20-25. 

(e)  Warning   against   intercourse   with    the    Ca- 

naanites ;   7  : 1-26. 
(/)  Appeal  to  history ;  8  :  1-6. 
(g)  Warning  against  forgetting  God  in  prosperity ; 

8 :  7-20. 
(h)  Warning  against  self-conceit ;  9 :  i-7a. 
(i)   Historical  retrospect  (related  to  i :  6-3  :  29), 

9  :  7b-io :  9. 
(j)  Various  motives  for  loyalty  and  obedience; 

10:  lo-ii :  32. 

B.     The  Deuteronomic  Legislation;    Chaps.  12-26  (27)  28. 

I.  Legislation  dealing  mainly  with  worship ;  12  : 1-18 :  22. 
(i)  Laws  designed  to  protect  the  purity  of  religious 
worship;  12-13. 

(2)  Ordinances   for   the   preservation   of   ceremonial 

purity;  14:  1-2 1. 

(3)  The  Law  of  Tithes ;  14 :  22-29. 

(4)  Laws  regarding  the  remission  of  debts  and  the 

release  of  slaves ;  15  :  1-18. 

(5)  Law  regarding  the  first-born  of  animals;    15:  19- 

23. 

(6)  The  three  annual  festivals ;  16 :  1-17. 

(7)  Laws  relating  to  the  officers  of  the  community, 

Judges,  Kings,  Priests,  and  Prophets;    16: 
18-18  :  22  (except  16  :  21-17  •  7)- 

(8)  Further  prohibition  of  heathen  practices  and  idola- 

try; 16:  21-17:  7. 
29 


INTRODUCTION 


II.  A  miscellaneous  body  of  laws  relating  to  the  trial  of 

criminals,  war,  the  family,  etc. ;  19 :  1-24 :  4. 
(i)  Law  regarding  the  Cities  of  Refuge ;   19 : 1-13. 

(2)  Law  of  the  boundary ;  19 :  14. 

(3)  Law  of  witnesses ;  19 :  15-21. 

(4)  Laws  relating  to  the  conduct  of  war ;   20 : 1-20. 

(5)  Expiation  for  a  murder  by  an  unknown  hand; 

21 : 1-9. 

(6)  Marriage  of  a  woman  taken  captive  in  war ;  21 :  10- 

14. 

(7)  The  right  of  the  eldest  born ;  21:15-17. 

(8)  Punishment  of  a  wicked  son;  21 :  18-21. 

(9)  The  case  of  a  criminal  who  has  been  hanged; 

21 :  22-23. 

(10)  Kindness  to  the  neighbor ;  22 : 1-4. 

(11)  Minor  prescriptions:    the   concealment   of   sex; 

sparing  of  the  mother-bird;  precaution 
against  accidents;  mingling  of  species; 
wearing  of  tassels;  22  :  5-12. 

(12)  Charges   of   unchastity   and   cases  of   adultery; 

22 :  13-30. 

(13)  Those  who  are  excluded  and  those  who  may  enter 

into  reUgious  communion ;  23  :  1-8. 

(14)  Law  regarding  the  ceremonial  purity  of  the  camp ; 

23 : 9-14. 

(15)  Kindness  to  the  fugitive  slave;   23  :  15-16. 

(16)  Immoral  reUgious  usages  forbidden;    23:17-18. 

(17)  Regulation  of  usury;  23  :  19-20. 

(18)  Laws  regarding  vows ;  23:21-23. 

(19)  Regulating   the   use   of    a  neighbor's  property; 

23 :  24-25. 

(20)  Regulation  of  divorce ;  24 : 1-4. 

III.  Varied  laws  mostly  of  a  humane  character ;  24 : 5- 

25:4. 
(i)  Privilege  of  the  newly  married  man ;  24 :  5. 

(2)  The  mill  not  to  be  taken  in  pledge ;  24 :  6. 

(3)  Man-stealing  forbidden ;  24 :  7. 

30 


INTRODUCTION 


(4)  Treatment  of  leprosy ;  24 :  8-9. 

(5)  Rules  regarding  pledges ;  24 :  10-13. 

(6)  Kindness  to  hired  servants ;  24:14-15. 

(7)  Individual  responsibility ;  24 :  16. 

(8)  Consideration  for  the  needy ;  24:17-22. 

(9)  Regulation  of  corporal  punishment;   25: 1-3. 
(10)  The  ox   treading  the  corn  not  to  be  muzzled; 

25:4. 
IV.  Regulations  of  a  miscellaneous  character ;    25:5- 
26:15. 
(i)  The  law  of  Levirate  marriage;   25  :  5-10. 

(2)  Against  unseemly  action  in  women;  25  :  11-12. 

(3)  Just  weights  and  measures ;  25 :  13-16. 

(4)  The  extermination  of  the  Amalekites;  25 :  17-19. 

(5)  Liturgy  to  be  used  at  the  presentation  of  the 

first-fruits  and  tithes ;  26 : 1-15. 
V.   Exhortations  to  obey  the  Law  just  given ;   26 :  16- 
28:68. 
(i)  The  formula  of  obligation  to  the  Law ;  26 :  16-19. 

(2)  Composite  chapter  of  a  special  character ;  27:1- 

26. 

(a)  An  altar  to  be  buUt  and  inscriptions  to  be  set 

up;  27:  i-io. 

(b)  The  blessings  and  curses  on  Ebal  and  Geri- 

zim;  27 :  11-26. 

(3)  The  blessings  and  curses  which  follow  obedience 

and  disobedience ;  28  : 1-68. 

(a)  The  blessings ;  28 :  1-14. 

(b)  The  curses;  28:15-68. 

C.    Closing  Speeches  and  Narratives;  Chaps.  29-34. 

I.   A  speech  of  exhortation  and  consolation ;  29  : 1-30 :  20. 
II.  The  narratives  of  the  last  words  and  deeds  of  Moses; 

31-34. 
(i)  Appointment  of  Joshua  as  successor;  31 : 1-8,  14, 

15,  23. 

31 


INTRODUCTION 


(2)  Regulation  for  the  public  reading  of  the  Law; 

31  :.9-i3- 

(3)  Introduction  to  the  song;  31 :  16-20. 

(4)  The  song  of  Moses ;  32  :  1-47. 

(5)  Commandment  concerning  the  death  of  Moses: 

32:48-52. 

(6)  The  blessing  of  Moses ;  33  : 1-29. 

(7)  The  death  of  Moses ;  34  : 1-12. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

The  aim  has  been  to  make  the  comments  as  brief  as  possible,  con- 
sistent with  clearness  and  suggestiveness,  to  explain  in  a  few  words 
the  purport  of  each  passage,  and  in  some  cases  to  add  short  remarks 
of  a  theological  or  practical  nature.  All  references  to  dictionaries 
and  commentaries  in  the  notes  have  been  avoided,  as,  if  introduced 
at  all,  such  references  would,  in  dealing  with  a  document  of  this  kind, 
have  needed  to  be  very  frequent,  and  they  are  not  likely  to  be  of  ser- 
vice to  those  for  whom  the  works  in  this  series  are  primarily  intended, 
while  the  advanced  student  knows  where  to  find  them.  The  present 
writer  gladly  acknowledges  his  obligations  to  Bertholet,  Driver, 
Marti,  Merx,  Puukko,  Steuernagel,  and  many  others,  who  have  dealt 
directly  or  indirectly  with  the  problems  of  Deuteronomy,  but  in  the 
following  brief  list  he  has  mentioned  only  those  books  easily  acces- 
sible to  the  English  reader.  In  the  first  volume  of  this  series,  Genesis 
by  Dr.  H.  G.  Mitchell,  a  useful  catalogue  of  books  is  given  which  can 
be  recommended  to  the  student  of  the  Old  Testament  in  general, 
and  of  the  Pentateuch  in  particular.  Those  dictionaries  and  other 
volumes  contain  information  on  all  points  connected  with  the  nature 
of  Palestine  and  the  history  of  its  peoples.  To  save  repetition  the 
reader  is  referred  to  that  list,  and  the  following  books  are  mentioned 
as  bearing  more  particularly  on  the  study  of  Deuteronomy. 

Bacon,  B.  W.    The  Triple  Tradition  of  the  Exodus.    A  critical 

study,  showing  the  threefold  narrative  as  it  appears  in  Exodus, 

Numbers,  and  Deuteronomy. 
Cheyne,  T.  K.    Jeremiah,  his  Life  and  Times.    A  fine  piece  of  work, 

discusses  the  relationship  of  the  Prophet  to  Deuteronomy. 
The  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Kingdom  of  Judah.     An  attempt 

to  rectify  the  text  on  the  basis  of  the  Jerahmeelite  theory. 
CORNILL,  Carl.     Introduction  to  the  Canonical  Books  of  the  Old 

Testament.     A  translation  from  the  German.     A  clear  and  not 

too  elaborate  statement  of  the  modern  view  of  the  origin  and 

analysis  of  the  various  documents. 

32 


INTRODUCTION 


CuLLEN,  John.  The  Book  of  the  Covenant  in  Moab.  An  ingenious 
attempt  to  show  that  the  original  Deuteronomy  contained  only 
the  Great  Exhortation,  Chaps.  6-11  (except  9:7-10:11),  and 
some  related  passages  from  the  earlier  and  later  chapters. 

CuRTiss,  S.  I.  Primitive  Semitic  Rehgion  To-day.  An  interesting 
description  of  reHgious  conditions  in  Syria  and  Palestine  showing 
that  many  ancient  customs  from  pre-Israelitish  days  still  survive. 

Davis,  T.  Witton,  Magic,  Divination,  and  Demonology  among 
the  Hebrews  and  their  Neighbors.  Includes  an  examination  of 
the  Bibical  references  and  the  Biblical  terms  bearing  on  this  sub- 
ject, with  an  extensive  bibliography. 

Driver,  S.  R.  Deuteronomy.  The  standard  commentary  in  Eng- 
lish on  this  book.  Has  an  elaborate  introduction,  and  is  a  rich 
storehouse  of  learning,  critical,  textual,  and  linguistic. 

Harper,  Andrew.  The  Book  of  Deuteronomy,  Expositor's  Bible. 
A  series  of  chapters  dealing  with  the  principal  topics,  critical 
but  conservative.     A  good  blending  of  exposition  and  apologetics. 

Hunter,  P.  Hay.  After  the  Exile.  A  hundred  years  of  Jewish 
History  and  Literature.  An  interesting  account  of  the  Early 
post-Exilic  period. 

Johns,  C.H.W.  The  Oldest  Code  of  Laws  in  the  World.  An  English 
translation  of  the  Code  of  Hammurabi,  with  a  brief  Introduction. 

Kent,  C.  F.  Israel's  Laws  and  Legal  Precedents.  An  exceedingly 
useful  book  for  a  comparative  study  of  these  codes;  they  are 
placed  in  parallel  columns,  and  provided  with  introductory 
remarks  and  brief  illuminating  notes. 

Leroy-Beaulieu,  p.  P.  Israel  among  the  Nations.  A  reasonable 
discussion  of  the  Semitic  question. 

McFadyen,  J.  E.  The  Prophetic  and  Priestly  Historians  of  the 
Old  Testament.  Gives  the  parallel  narratives  with  fine  explana- 
tory paraphrases. 

McGarvey,  J.  W.  The  Authorship  of  the  Book  of  Deuteronomy. 
An  elaborate  defence  of  the  Mosaic  authorship  against  the  domi- 
nant modern  view. 

Smith,  Robertson  W.  Kinship  and  Marriage  in  Early  Arabia. 
The  standard  work  on  the  subject  of  tribal  relationship  and  mar- 
riage customs  among  the  races  most  closely  akin  to  the  early 
Hebrews. 

Stewart,  Alexander.  The  Mosaic  Authorship  of  Deuteronomy. 
Deals  with  the  Robertson  Smith  case,  and  endeavors  to  support 
the  traditional  view  of  Mosaic  authorship. 

Todd,  J.  C.  Politics  and  Religion  in  Ancient  Israel.  The  author 
has  a  brilliant  literary  style,  and  has  fully  grasped  the  idea  that 
the  progress  of  the  Hebrew  religion  meant  a  fierce  struggle  against 
the  luxuriant  growth  of  Oriental  superstitions  which  could  only 
be  successful  through  the  power  of  God-given  truth. 


33 


INTRODUCTION 


Zangwill,  Israel.  The  Children  of  the  Ghetto.  A  novel,  but  also 
an  important  document  relating  to  the  life  of  the  modem  Jew 
as  moulded  by  the  ancient  law. 

The  More  Important  Abbreviations 

AV       ....    Authorized  (King  James)  Version. 

RV       ....     English  Revised  Version. 

Gr Septuagint. 

Heb Hebrew. 

m margin. 

Sam Samaritan  Pentateuch. 

SV Standard  American  Version. 

Syr Syriac. 

Tar Targum. 

Vg Vulgate. 

C.  of  H.    .     .     .    The  Code  of  Hammurabi. 
The  letters  in  the  margin,  representing  documentary  analysis,  are 

fully  explained  in  the  Introduction,  but  for  convenience  are  set  forth 

briefly  here,  as  follows :  — 

J The  Yahwist  Document. 

E The  Elohist  Document. 

JE These  two  in  their  combined  form. 

P The  Priestly  Document  in  its  full  extent. 

H A  special  part  of  the  Priestly  Code,  called  "The 

Law  of  Holiness."     Lev.  Chaps.  17-26,  etc. 

D The  Original  Deuteronomy.     Chaps.  6-26,  28,  ex- 
cept 9  :  7-10 :  9. 

D' The  Introductory  section.      1-4:8;   (9 :  7-10 :  9) 

and  related  parts. 

D* Sections  which  are  assigned  to  the  Exilic  period. 

D^ Large  secondary  sections  of  uncertain  date. 

D* Smaller  secondary  sections  and  notes  of  varied 

origin. 


34 


THE   BOOK   OF   DEUTERONOMY 

A.  INTRODUCTORY  NARRATIVES  AND  DIS- 
COURSES; 1:1-11:32 

I.  The  First  Introduction  ;  i :  1-4 :  43 

1.  These  be  the  words  which  Moses  spake  unto  all  D^ 
Israel  beyond  Jordan  in  the  wilderness,  in  the  Arabah 
over  against  Suph/  between  Paran,  and  Tophel,  and 

2.  Laban,  and  Hazeroth,  and  Di-zahab.    It  is  eleven 

1  Gr.  Vg.  Red  Sea. 

First  section,  1:1-4:43,  containing  a  general  superscription, 
1 :  1-5 ;  a  historical  retrospect  in  the  form  of  a  speech  by  Moses, 
1 :  6-3  :  29 ;  a  series  of  exhortations,  4 :  1-40 ;  statement  that 
Moses  appointed  Cities  of  Refuge,  4 :  41-43. 

I.  1-5.  A  General  Superscription  concerning  the  Time  and  Place  in 
which  these  Speeches  and  Laws  were  Given 

1,2.  The  writer,  speaking  as  one  who  lives  on  the  west  of  the 
Jordan,  tells  us  that  Moses  delivered  the  speeches  "  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Jordan  "  (i,  5)  to  "  all  Israel  "  (a  Deuteronomic 
phrase).  The  rest  of  the  verses  form  a  geographical  puzzle  which 
scholars  have  failed  to  explain  or  harmonize.  The  best  solution 
seems  to  be  that  even  this  small  section  is  composite.  (On  all 
such  questions,  see  the  Introduction.) 

2.  Gives  the  distance,  about  160  miles,  from  Horeb  to  Kadesh- 
barnea,  cf.  v.  19. 

3, 4.  Give  a  twofold  statement  of  the  time,  (i)  in  the  fortieth  year 
of  the  Exodus  (P,  the  only  document  which  reckons  by  months  and 
days)  (2)  after  the  conquest  of  Sihon  and  Og  (JE  Num.  21 :  21  ff.), 
cf .  also  2  :  26  ;  3:1;  4  :  46  ;  29  :  7  ;  etc. 

5.  "  Moses  took  it  upon  himself  to  explain  and  illustrate  the 
following  course  of  instruction." 

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days'  journey  from  Horeb  by  the  way  of  mount  Seir 
P  3.  unto  Kadesh-barnea.  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the 
fortieth  year,  in  the  eleventh  month,  on  the  first 
day  of  the  month,  that  Moses  spake  unto  the 
children  of  Israel,  according  unto  all  that  the  Lord 
D2  had  given  him  in  commandment  unto  them;   after 

4.  he  had  smitten  Sihon  the  king  of  the  Amorites, 
which  dwelt  in  Heshbon,  and  Og  the  king  of  Bashan, 

5.  which  dwelt  in  Ashtaroth,^  at  Edrei:  beyond  Jordan, 
in  the  land  of  Moab,  began  Moses  to  declare  this  law, 

6.  saying.  The  Lord  ^  our  God  spake  unto  us  in  Horeb, 
saying.  Ye  have  dwelt  long  enough  in  this  moun- 

7.  tain :  turn  you,  and  take  your  journey,  and  go  to  the 
hill  country  of  the  Amorites,  and  unto  all  the  places 
nigh  thereunto,  in  the  Arabah,  in  the  hill  country, 
and  in  the  lowland,  and  in  the  South,  and  by  the  sea 
shore,  the  land  of  the  Canaanites,  and  Lebanon,  as  far 

1  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  and  at  Edrei.       »  SV  has  Jehovah  for  Lord  throughout  the  book. 

2.   The  Historical  Review ;  i :  6-3  :  29 

6-8.  Having  accomplished  the  purpose  of  their  stay  at  Horeb, 
the  Israelites  must  now  break  up  their  camp  and  move  forward  in 
the  direction  of  Palestine.  Horeb.  Deut.  (except  33  :  2)  like  E 
uses  this  name  for  the  mountain  which  the  other  documents  name 
Sinai,  All  the  land  lying  north  of  Kadesh-barnea,  to  Lebanon,  the 
ideal  northern  limit.  Kadesh-barnea.  An  important  centre  and 
sanctuary  for  the  early  Israelites,  is  fifty  miles  south  of  Beersheba 
(sometimes  Kadesh  alone,  v.  46 ;  3  2  :  5 1 ) .  We  have  first  the  general 
designation,  the  hill  country  of  tiie  Amorites  and  then  the  special 
parts  are  given  :  the  Arabah,  the  valley  of  the  Jordan  north  of  the 
Dead  Sea ;  the  hill-country  in  the  centre  of  Palestine ;  the  Shephelah, 
the  land  of  low  hills  and  flat  valleys  west  and  southwest  of  Judah ; 
the  Negeb,  the  dry  region  south  of  Palestine ;  the  plain  along  the 
coast  north  of  the  Shephelah  (cf.  Gen.  15  :  18 ;  Exod.  23  :  31 ;  Deut. 
II :  24).  The  land  of  the  Canaanites.  Either  a  summary  of  the 
whole,  or  merely  of  the  parts  lying  along  the  coast.  Note  (i)  in 
Exod.  32 :  34  (E)  the  command  to  break  up  the  camp  has  a  differ- 

36 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


8.  as  the  great  river,  the  river  Euphrates.  Behold/  I 
have  set  the  land  before  you :  go  in  and  possess  the 
land  which  ^  the  Lord  sware  ^  unto  your  fathers,  to 
Abraham,  to  Isaac,  and  to  Jacob,  to  give  unto  them  and 

9.  to  their  seed  after  them.  And  I  spake  unto  you  at 
that  time,  saying,  I  am  not  able  to  bear  you  myself 

10.  alone :  the  Lord  your  God  hath  multiplied  you,  and, 
behold,  ye  are  this  day  as  the  stars  of  heaven  for  multi- 

11.  tude.    The  Lord,  the  Cxod  of  your  fathers,  make  you  a 
thousand  times  so^  many  more  as  ye  are,  and  bless 

12.  you,  as  he  hath  promised  you !    How  can  I  myself 
alone  bear  your  cumbrance,  and  your  burden,  and  your 

13.  strife?    Take  you  wise  men,  and  understanding,  and 

»  Heb.  Behold  thou.    Gr.  Behold  ye  (pi.),        2  Gr.  Sam.  I  have  sworn.       »  SV  as. 

ent  setting,  it  is  given  in  anger  on  account  of  the  sin  of  the  people. 

(2)  The  phrases,  "  Yahweh  our  God,"  "  Yahweh  your  God,"  etc., 
are  specially  frequent  in  Deut.  and  probably  contain  a  covert 
polemic    against    Baal-worship    and    other    forms   of    idolatry. 

(3)  The  promise  sworn  to  the  fathers  is  recorded  in  the  earlier 
documents,  the  oath  mentioned  in  JE  (Gen.  22:16;  26:3)  re- 
ceives special  emphasis  in  Deuteronomy. 

9-18.  Moses,  at  that  time,  called  upon  the  people  to  select 
worthy  men  to  assist  him  in  the  management  of  public  affairs. 

9.  At  that  time.  If  this  phrase  is  taken  with  exactness, 
then  the  contradiction  between  it  and  Exod.  18  is  best  solved 
by  the  suggestion  that  the  latter  chap.  (JE)  may  have  once  stood 
beside  Num.  10 :  29-36  (cf.  the  parallel  statement,  Num.  11: 
14  ff.). 

lo-i  2.  The  increase  of  the  people,  a  sign  of  prosperity  and  blessing, 
has  brought  increase  of  cares  for  the  ruler ;  Moses  does  not  desire 
that  the  nation  should  be  smaller,  but  he  sees  no  escape  except 
through  division  of  labor.  It  is  possible  that  the  author  omits 
any  reference  to  Jethro's  advice  because  of  his  jealousy  for  the 
originality  and  independence  of  Israel's  life  (4:  7),  God  of  your 
fathers.  A  great  phrase  linking  the  struggling  present  with  the 
heroic  past.  But  even  with  divine  help  one  man  cannot  bear  the 
cumbrance  ("  burden,"  Isa.  i :  14),  burden,  and  strife  (contentious 
cases). 

37 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


known,  according  to  your  tribes,  and  I  will  make  them 

14.  heads  over  you.  And  ye  answered  me,  and  said, 
The  thing  which  thou  hast  spoken  is  good  for  us  to  do. 

15.  So  I  took  ^  the  heads  of  your  tribes,^  wise  men,  and 
known,  and  made  them  heads  over  you,  captains  of 
thousands,  and  captains  of  hundreds,  and  captains  of 
fifties,  and  captains  of  tens,  and  officers  ^  according  to 
your  tribes.2 

16.  And  I  charged  your  judges  at  that  time,  saying, 
2  Hear  the  causes  between  your  brethren,  and  judge 
righteously  between  a  man  and  his  brother,  and  the 

17.  stranger  ^  that  is  with  him.  Ye  shall  not  respect  per- 
sons in  judgement ;  ye  shall  hear  the  small  and  the 
great  alike ;  ye  shall  not  be  afraid  of  the  face  of  man  ; 

1  Gr.  om.  and  reads /row  you.  *  Gr.  to  your  judges.  '  Heb.  Hear  thou. 

Gr.  Sam.  Hear  ye.  *  SV  has  sojourner  for  stranger  here  and  through  the  book 

except  in  5 :  14. 

13.  The  people  must  choose  (cf.  "  Moses  chose,"  Exod.  18  :25). 
Translate,  "  Bring  me,  according  to  your  tribes,  men  of  wisdom 
and  experience  "  (or  of  reputation).  Here  the  intellectual  quali- 
ties are  emphasized;  in  Exod.  18 :  21,  the  moral. 

15.  Moses,  with  the  consent  of  the  people,  improves  the  or- 
ganization of  the  tribes  by  placing  men  of  reputation  in  positions 
of  different  degrees  of  responsibility.  Heads.  Those  who  were 
to  be  heads,  or  read  simply  "  from  you."  Officers.  Subordinate 
officials,  perhaps  scribes,  who  keep  a  record  of  the  work  done  by 
the  captains. 

16-19.  The  charge  to  the  judges  and  people,  and  the  breaking 
up  of  the  camp.  At  that  time  also  judges  were  appointed  and 
their  duties  were  defined,  or  to  the  "  captains  "  (usually  a  mili- 
tary term)  judicial  functions  were  assigned,  in  the  latter  case  we 
follow  the  reading  of  the  Greek  at  the  end  of  v.  15.  This  noble 
charge,  in  striking  contrast  to  Eastern  practice,  shows  the  strong 
moral  character  of  the  Hebrew  religion.  The  judge  must  be 
impartial,  considering  not  the  position  of  the  person,  but  the  jus- 
tice of  the  cause;  the  great  man  must  have  his  rights  and  the 
small  man  must  be  protected,  the  stranger  ger  (see  10:19;  14 :  21), 
also,  must  not  be  oppressed  by  his  patron  or  be  wronged  by  others 

38 


I 
I 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


for  the  judgement  is  God's :  and  the  cause  that  is  too 
hard  for  you  ye  shall  bring  unto  me,  and  I  will  hear 
i8.  it.    And  I  commanded  you  at  that  time  all  the  things, 
which  ye  should  do. 

19.  And  we  journeyed  from  Horeb,  and  went  through 
all  that  great  and  terrible  wilderness  which  ye  saw, 
by  the  way  to  the  hill  country  of  the  Amorites,  as  the 
Lord  our  God  commanded  us;    and  we  came  to 

20.  Kadesh-barnea.  And  I  said  unto  you,  Ye  are  come 
unto  the  hill  country  of  the  Amorites,  which  the  Lord 
our  God  giveth  unto  us. 

21.  Behold,  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  set  the  land  before 
thee:  go  up,  take  possession,  as  the  Lord,  the  God 
of  thy  fathers,  hath  spoken  unto  thee;     fear  not, 

22.  neither  be  dismayed.  And  ye  came  near  unto  me 
every  one  of  you,  and  said.  Let  us  send  men  before  us, 
that  they  may  search  the  land  for  us,  and  bring  us 
word  again  of  the  way  by  which  we  must  go  up,  and 


on  account  of  his  peculiar  situation.  The  deep  reason  of  this  is 
that  justice  is  God's  work  and  the  judge  is  merely  his  representa- 
tive. Moses  himself  accepts  the  responsibility  of  his  special 
relationship  to  their  God  by  standing  ready  to  judge  the  more 
difficult  cases.  To  create  an  atmosphere  in  which  justice  may 
work  he  gives  general  instruction  to  the  people  and  they  are 
ready  for  the  forward  march. 

19.  On  the  terror  of  the  wilderness  cf.  8:  15;  Jer.  2:  6.  The 
desert  et-Tih  between  the  peninsula  of  Sinai  and  South  Palestine. 
(On  this  verse  cf.  i :  i,  2  and  see  Introd.,  p.  12.) 

20-28.  The  mission  of  the  spies,  the  discouragement  and  re- 
bellion of  the  people.  They  have  come  now  to  the  land  which 
Yahweh  is  about  to  give  to  them. 

20.  Their  God  has  given  it  into  their  hands,  i.e.  it  is  his  pur- 
pose that  they  should  possess  it,  but  they  must  do  the  work  of  the 
conquest  in  the  strength  of  his  promise.  (20)  On  the  change  of 
person,  see  Introd.,  p.  13.  Then  the  people  ask  that  spies  may  be 
sent  to  search  out  the  land;  this  proposal  commends  itself  to 
Moses,  and  the  representatives  of  the  tribes  are  sent  forth  on  their 

39 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


23.  the  cities  unto  which  we  shall  come.  And  the  thing 
pleased  me  well :  and  I  took  twelve  men  of  you,  one 

24.  man  for  every  tribe :  and  they  turned  and  went  up  into 
the  mountain,  and  came  unto  the  valley  of  Eshcol, 

25.  and  spied  it  out.  And  they  took  of  the  fruit  of  the 
land  in  their  hands,  and  brought  it  down  irnto  us,  and 
brought  us  word  again,  and  said,  It  is  a  good  land 

26.  which  the  Lord  our  God  giveth  unto  us.  Yet  ye 
would  not  go  up,  but  rebelled  against  the  command- 

27.  ment  of  the  Lord  your  God:  and  ye  murmured  in 
your  tents,  and  said.  Because  the  Lord  hated  us,  he 
hath  brought  us  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  to 
deliver  us  into  the  hand  of  the  Amorites,  to  destroy  us. 

28.  Whither  are  we  going  up?  our  brethren  have  made 
our  heart  to  melt,  saying,  The  people  is  greater  and 
taller  ^  than  we ;  ^  the  cities  are  great  and  fenced  ^  up 

»  Gr.  Sam.  more  numerous.        *  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  and  the  cities.        '  SV  fortified. 

important  errand.  This  statement,  vs.  22-25  (cf-  v.  8),  should  be 
compared  with  the  account  in  Num.  13:  1-16  (P).  There  (i) 
Moses  sends  them  by  the  direct  command  of  Yahweh.  (2)  Their 
names  are  given.  (3)  They  go  not  merely  to  the  valley  of 
Eshcol  near  Hebron,  but  to  the  extreme  north  of  the  country. 
(4)  They  give  a  terrifying  report  of  gigantic  people  and  strong 
cities.  Here  it  seems  that  the  people  show  lack  of  faith  by  asking 
for  the  spies  instead  of  going  forth  in  reliance  solely  on  the  word 
of  their  God.  The  rebellion  and  murmuring  of  the  people  (vs. 
26-28)  imply  the  depressing  report.  Note  here  a  kind  of  thing 
not  uncommon  in  Deuteronomy,  which  throws  light  upon  the 
nature  of  the  history  in  the  book.  Moses  is  represented  as  mak- 
ing a  speech  and  the  sayings  of  the  people  are  quoted.  This  is 
not  direct  history,  it  is  evidently  history  used  dramatically  for 
homiletic  purposes. 

26-33.  The  people  rebelled  and  showed  complete  lack  of  trust 
in  God,  in  spite  of  the  earnest  exhortation  of  Moses. 

26.  Strong  statement,  they  "  defied  the  command  (lit.  motith, 
cf.  34:  5)  of  Yahweh  their  God,"  cf.  v.  43. 

27.  They  even  go  so  far  as  to  declare  that  through  hatred 

40 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


to  heaven ;  and  moreover  we  have  seen  the  sons  of  the 

29.  Anakim  there. 

30.  Then  I  said  unto  you,  Dread  not,  neither  be  afraid 
of  them.  The  Lord  your  God  who  goeth  before  you, 
he  shall  fight  for  you,  according  to  all  that  he  did  for 
you  in  Egypt  ^  before  your  eyes ;  ^  and  in  the  wilder- 

31.  ness,  where  thou  hast  seen  how  that  the  Lord  thy  pR 
God  bare  thee,  as  a  man  doth  bear  his  son,  in  all  the  Acts  13 : 

32.  way  that  ye  went,  until  ye  came  unto  this  place. 

33.  Yet  in  this  thing  ye  did  not  believe  the  Lord  your  d^ 
God,  who  went  before  you  in  the  way,  to  seek  you  out 

a  place  ^  to  pitch  your  tents  in,  ^  in  fire  by  night,  to 
shew  you  by  what  way  ye  should  go,  and  in  the  cloud 

34.  by  day.    And   the  Lord  heard  the   voice  of  your 

35.  words,  and  was  wroth,  and  sware,  saying.  Surely  there 
shall  not  one  of  these  men  ^  of  this  evil  generation  ^ 

1  Gr.  om.         2  Gr.  to  guide  you  in  fire  by  night.        '  Gr.  and  Num.  14 :  22  om. 

Yahweh  is  betraying  them  into  the  hands  of  powerful  enemies 
and  the  advance  can  only  mean  certain  destruction. 

28.  Cf.  Josh.  11:21,  22.  Sons  of  the  Anakim,  elsewhere 
referred  to  as  "Anakim"  or  "Sons  of  Anak,"  were  giants; 
Num.  13 :  33  applies  to  them  the  term  Nephilim  used  in  Gen. 
6  :  4  (A.V.  "  giants  ") ;  according  to  Josh.  11:21  they  were  cut  off 
by  Joshua  from  Hebron,  etc.,  and  only  in  the  cities  of  the  Philis- 
tines were  some  of  them  left. 

29,  30.  The  man  of  faith  does  not  deny  the  difficulties,  but  con- 
tends that  through  these  the  power  of  God  will  be  manifested  in 
helping  his  people. 

31.  This  has  been  shown  in  the  past,  in  all  the  journey  from 
Egypt  to  the  present  position.  For  the  simile  of  fatherly  care  cf. 
8:15.     This  beautiful  phrase  is  perhaps  a  gloss  here. 

33.  For  this  splendid  symbol  of  God's  guidance  see  Exod.  13:21. 

34-40.  Because  of  this  rebellion  the  fierce  anger  of  Yahweh 
brings  punishment  upon  the  people  and  upon  Moses. 

35.  This  evil  generation.  Probably  an  explanatory  gloss  to 
show  that  these  men  does  not  refer  merely  to  the  spies. 

41 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


see   the  good  land,  which  I  sware  ^  to  give  ^  unto 

36.  your  fathers,  save  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh,  he 
shall  see  it ;  and  to  him  will  I  give  the  land  that  he 
hath  trodden  upon,  and  to  his  children:   because  he 

37.  hath  wholly  followed  the  Lord.  Also  the  Lord  was 
angry  with  me  for  your  sakes,  saying.  Thou  also  shalt 

38.  not  go  in  thither:  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  which 
standeth  before  thee,  he  shall  go  in  thither :  encourage 
thou  him ;  for  he  shall  cause  Israel  to  inherit  it. 

D'  39.  ^  Moreover  your  little  ones,  which  ye  said  should 
be  a  prey ,2  and  your  children,  which  this  day  have  no 
knowledge  of  good  or  evil,  they  shall  go  in  thither,  and 
unto  them  will  I  give  it,  and  they  shall  possess  it. 

40.  But  as  for  you,  turn  you,  and  take  your  journey  into 

41.  the  wilderness  by  the  way  to  the  Red  Sea.  Then  ye 
answered  and  said  unto  me,  we  have  sinned  against 

^  Gr.  Sam.  om.  '  Gr.  om. 

36-39.  These  verses  read  like  an  editor's  note  on  the  basis  of 
3 :  28  and  Num.  14 :  24,  to  point  out  that  there  were  exceptions 
to  this  sweeping  condemnation.  Caleb  and  Joshua  are  brought 
in  here  rather  awkwardly ;  and  Moses,  who  throughout  has  sought 
to  encourage  the  people,  is  called  to  suffer  on  account  of  their 
sin.  According  to  Num.  20:  10-12  (P)  Moses  is  excluded  from 
the  land  of  promise  because  of  his  own  transgression ;  and  this 
happened  at  the  same  spot  thirty-seven  years  later  than  the  send- 
ing forth  of  the  spies,  as  here  recorded,  an  instance  of  double  tra- 
dition (see  Introd.,  p.  5).  In  this  case  the  anger  of  their  God 
is  not  visited  upon  the  children  ;  the  present  generation  suffers  for 
its  own  sin,  and  in  the  children  mercy  again  finds  expression  and 
the  promise  is  fulfilled,  Isa.  7  :  15,  16;   Ezek.  18. 

41-46,  Then  came  a  strong  revulsion  of  feeling,  and  the  people 
rushed  heedlessly  into  battle  against  the  command  of  their  leader 
and  without  the  presence  of  their  God.  The  consequence  is  that 
when  the  enemy  swarms  about  them  they  are  driven  back  and 
shed  tears,  not  of  true  repentance,  but  of  bitter  disappointment 
and  sharp  despair ;  cf .  Num.  14 :  40  f. 

41.  The  obedience  comes  too  late  and  not  in  the  right  spirit. 
42 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


the  Lord/  we  will  go  up  and  fight,  according  to  all  that 
the  Lord  our  God  commanded  us.  And  ye  girded 
on  every  man  his  weapons  of  war,  and  were  forward  ^ 

42.  to  go  up  into  the  mountain.  And  the  Lord  said 
unto  me,  Say  unto  them,  Go  not  up,  neither  fight; 
for  I  am  not  among  you;   lest  ye  be  smitten  before 

43.  your  enemies.  So  I  spake  unto  you,  and  ye  hearkened 
not ;  but  ye  rebelled  against  the  commandment  of  the 
Lord,  and  were  presiunptuous,  and  went  up  into  the 

44.  mountain.  And  the  Amorites,  which  dwelt  in  that 
mountain,  came  out  against  you,  and  chased  you,  as 
bees  do,  and  beat  you  down  in  ^  Seir,  even  unto  Hor- 

45.  mah.    And  ye  returned  and  went  before  the  Lord;  D^ 
but  the  Lord  hearkened  not  to  your  voice,  nor  gave 

46.  ear  unto  you.  So  ye  abode  in  Kadesh  many  days, 
according  unto  the  days  that  ye  abode  there. 

2.        Then  we  turned,  and  took  our  journey  into   the  D^ 
wilderness  by  the  way  to  the  Red  Sea,  as  the  Lord 
spake  unto  me :  and  we  compassed  mount  Seir  many 

2,3.  days.    And  the  Lord  spake  unto  me,  sapng,  Ye  have 


1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  add  our  God.         *  m.  deemed  it  a  light  thing.         «  Gr.  Syr.  Vg. 

from  Seir. 


44.  The  Amorites,  referred  to  in  Num.  as  "  the  Amalekite  and 
the  Canaanite,"  beat  them  down  from  Seir  to  Hormah.  Hormah, 
formerly  called  Zephath ;  note  the  double  tradition  of  the  origin 
of  the  name  (from  her  em,  the  ban). 

45.  It  was  impossible  to  bring  back  an  opportunity  that  had 
been  wilfully  rejected. 

46.  Many  days  in  the  next  verse  means  thirty-eight  years 
(2  :  14) ;  here  it  cannot  have  any  such  large  meaning  unless  it 
belongs  to  a  separate  tradition  which  represents  most  of  the  time 
as  being  spent  at  Kadesh-barnea.  One  would  expect  the  com- 
mand given  in  v.  40  to  be  carried  out  without  unnecessary  delay ; 
cf.  Num.  14:  25.     Hence  we  must  regard  it  as  an  editorial  note. 

2 :  1-8.  The  Israelites  return  to  the  wilderness  and  after  wan- 

43 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


compassed  this  mountain  long  enough:    turn  you 

4.  northward.  And  command  thou  the  people,  say- 
ing, Ye  are  to  pass  through  the  border  of  your  brethren 
the  children  of  Esau,  which  dwell  in  Seir;  and  they 
shall  be  afraid  of  you :  take  ye  good  heed  unto  your- 

5.  selves  therefore :  contend  not  with  them ;  for  I  will  not 
give  you  of  their  land,  no,  not  so  much  as  for  the  sole 
of  the  foot  to  tread  on :  because  I  have  given  mount 

6.  Seir  unto  Esau  for  a  possession.  Ye  shall  purchase 
food  of  them  for  money,  that  ye  may  eat;  and  ye 
shall  also  buy  water  of  them  for  money,  that  ye  may 

7.  drink.  For  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  blessed  thee 
in  all  the  work  of  thy  hand :  ^  he  hath  known  ^  thy 
walking 2  through  this  great  wilderness:  these  forty 
years  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  been  with  thee ;   thou 

8.  hast  lacked  nothing.  So  we  passed  by  from^  our 
brethren  the  chidren  of  Esau,  which  dwell  in  Seir, 
from^  the  way  of  the  Arabah  from  Elath  and  from 
Ezion-geber. 

»  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  thy  hands.  *  Gr.  know  or  consider  how  thou  wentest.  »  Gr. 
Vg.  om.  from,  i.e.  passed  through  {the  territory  of)  our  brethren.        *  Gr.  through  or  by. 

dering  many  years  on  the  west  and  south  borders  of  Edom  receive 
the  command  to  march  peaceably  through  that  land. 

3.  Long  enough.     As  in  i :  6,  sufficient  for  the  purpose. 

4.  There  is  a  blood  relation  between  the  two  peoples,  hence 
Israel  must  not  take  advantage  of  their  fear  to  plunder  the  Edom- 
ites  (23 :  7;  Amos  i :  11). 

5.  First  reason  for  not  meddling  with  the  Edomites,  Yahweh  has 
allotted  a  country  to  them ;  cf .  with  Judg.  11:  24,  where  Chemosh 
is  said  to  have  given  a  territory  to  Moab. 

6.  Cf.  with  Num.  20 :  14-21,  a  different  incident  belonging  to  an 
earlier  stage  of  the  wanderings. 

7.  Second  reason  for  showing  brotherly  kindness,  their  God  has 
showered  blessings  upon  them  even  in  the  wilderness  (8:2). 

8.  Elath.  At  the  north  end  of  the  gulf  of  Akabah.  Ezion- 
geber.     Unknown,  probably  a  little    farther  north.     Vs.  4,  29 

44 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


And  we  turned  and  passed  by  the  way  of  the  wilder- 
9.  ness  of  Moab.    And  the  Lord  said  unto   me,  Vex 
not  Moab,  neither  contend  with  them  in  battle :   for 
I  will  not  give  thee  of  his  land  for  a  possession ;   be- 
cause I  have  given  Ar  unto  the  children  of  Lot  for  a 

10.  possession.     (The  Emim  dwelt  therein   aforetime,  a  D^ 

11.  people  great,  and  many,  and  tall,  as  the  Anakim:  these 
also  are  accounted  Rephaim,  as  the  Anakim ;  but  the 

12.  Moabites  call  them  Emim.  The  Horites  also  dwelt 
in  Seir  aforetime,  but  the  children  of  Esau  succeeded 
them ;  and  they  destroyed  them  from  before  them,  and 
dwelt  in  their  stead;  as  Israel  did  unto  the  land  of 
his  possession,  which  the  Lord  gave  unto  them.) 

13 .  Now  ^  rise  up ,2  and  get  you  over  the  brook  Zered.    And   D' 
we  went  over  the  brook  Zered.    And  the  days  in 

14.  which  we  came  from  Kadesh-barnea,  until  we  were 
come  over  the  brook  Zered,  were  thirty  and  eight  years 

1  Sam.  Gr.  add  and  now  or  now  therefore.  2  Sam.  Gr.  insert  and  depart  (break 

up  camp). 

favor  the  Greek  reading  "  through  our  brethren."  Wilderness 
here  may  be  a  large  tract  of  uncultivated  land, 

9.  Ar,  the  chief  city  of  Moab,  and  the  territory  belonging  to 
it ;   the  exact  site  of  the  city  is  not  known. 

10-12.  Explanatory  gloss  of  an  antiquarian  character,  the 
latter  part  of  which  (v.  12)  evidently  belongs  to  v.  5 ;  cf.  i :  28. 
Emim,  mentioned  again  only  in  Gen.  14 :  5,  said  here  to  be  the 
Moabite  name  for  a  primitive  people  who  were  reckoned  among 
the  Rephaim  or  primeval  giants. 

12.  The  Horites,  probably  cave-dwellers.  Caves  (tombs)  are 
still  to  be  seen  in  the  rocks  at  Petra  which  may  originally  have 
been  used  as  dwellings.  "  As  Israel  did,  etc.,"  these  words  clearly 
presuppose  Israel's  residence  in  Palestine. 

13.  Continuing  the  command  of  v.  9,  they  must  cross  the  torrent 
or  torrent-valley,  Zered  (running  into  the  Dead  Sea,  but  the  pre- 
cise situation  unknown). 

14.  15.  Cf.  Num.  32  :  13  (JE),al1  the  generation  was  consumed. 

45 


15  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

until  all  the  generation  of  the  men  of  war  were  con- 
sumed from  the  midst  of  the  camp,  as  the  Lord  sware 

15.  tmto  them.  Moreover  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was 
against  them,  to  destroy  them  from  the  midst  of  the 
camp,  until  they  were  consumed. 

16.  So  it  came  to  pass,  when  all  the  men  of  war  were 

17.  consumed  and  dead  from  among  the  people,  that 

18.  the  Lord  spake  unto  me,  saying.  Thou  art  this  day 

19.  to  pass  over  Ar,  the  border  of  Moab :  and  when  thou 
comest  nigh  over  against  the  children  of  Ammon, 
vex  them  not,  nor  contend  with  them:  for  I  will  not 
give  thee  of  the  land  of  the  children  of  Ammon  for  a 
possession :  because  I  ^have  given  it  unto  the  children 
of  Lot  for  a  possession. 

DR  20.       (That  also  is  accounted  a  land  of  Rephaim :   Re- 

phaim  dwelt  therein  aforetime ;  but  the  Ammonites 

21.   call  them  Zamzummim;   a  people  great,  and  many, 

and  tall,  as  the  Anakim;    but  the  Lord  destroyed 


Here  we  have  the  limiting  phrase  (even)  the  men  of  war;  Num. 
32:11  (P)  has  "from  twenty  years  old  and  upward."  They 
wasted  away  because  they  had  set  themselves  in  opposition  to 
the  Divine  Will. 

16-25.  The  Israelites  are  commanded  not  to  molest  the 
Ammonites,  but  to  cross  the  Arnon  and  pass  on  into  the  territory 
of  Sihon.     This  section  has  nothing  corresponding  to  it  in  Num. 

18.  (Even)  Ar,  explanatory  gloss  from  v.  9. 

19.  Running  through  these  prohibitions  there  are  two  thoughts, 
the  claims  of  kinship  and  the  fact  that  Israel's  God  has  given  to 
each  of  these  related  tribes  a  specific  inheritance.  When  they 
reach  the  Arnon  and  have  the  land  of  the  Ammonites  in  front  of 
them,  they  must  leave  it  on  the  right  and  pass  right  through  the 
territory  of  Sihon,  king  of  Heshbon. 

20-23.  Another  gloss  of  the  same  character  as  vs.  10-12. 

20.  "  This  also  was  a  place  where  Rephaim  dwelt  in  prehistoric 
times,  but  the  name  they  bore  was  Zamzimimim  "  (only  here), 
cf.  "  Zuzim,"  Gen.  14:  5.  All  these  names  have  had  some  refer- 
ence to  ghosts  as  well  as  giants. 

46 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


them  before  them;    and  they  succeeded  them  and 

22.  dwelt  in  their  stead:  as  he  did  for  the  children  of 
Esau,  which  dwell  in  Seir,  when  he  destroyed  the 
Horites  from  before  them ;  and  they  succeeded  them, 

23.  and  dwelt  in  their  stead  even  unto  this  day:  and 
the  Awim  which  dwelt  in  villages  as  far  as  Gaza, 
the  Caphtorim,  which  came  forth  out  of  Caphtor, 

24.  destroyed  them,  and  dwelt  in  their  stead.)  Rise  ye 
up,  take  your  journey,  and  pass  over  the  valley  of 
Arnon:  behold,  I  have  given  into  thine  hand  Sihon 
the  Amorite,  king  of  Heshbon,  and  his  land:   begin 

25.  to  possess  it,  and  contend  with  him  in  battle.  This 
day  will  I  begin  to  put  the  dread  of  thee  and  the  fear 
of  thee  upon  the  peoples  that  are  under  the  whole 
heaven,  who  shall  hear  the  report  of  thee,  and  shall 
tremble,  and  be  in  anguish  because  of  thee. 

26.  And  I  sent  messengers  out  of  the  wilderness  of 
Kedemoth  unto  Sihon  king  of  Heshbon  with  words  of 

27.  peace,  saying,  Let  me  pass  through  thy  land:  I  will 

23.  The  annotator  goes  on  to  tell  of  the  Awim,  the  early  in- 
habitants of  southwest  Palestine  who  were  driven  from  their 
homes  by  Philistine  immigrants  from  Caphtor  (Crete,  on  the 
south  coast  of  Asia  Minor,  Amos  9:7;   Jer.  47  :  4). 

24.  Arnon,  the  north  boundary  of  Moab. 

25.  They  must  prepare  for  battle  with  an  alien  people  and  their 
God  will  cause  such  a  fear  of  them  to  spread  abroad  that  the 
nations  will  tremble  and  writhe  before  them ;  a  strong  rhetorical 
expression  meant  to  suggest  the  power  of  Yahweh  rather  than 
the  powers  of  the  people. 

26-37.  Sihon  refuses  to  allow  Israel  to  pass  through  his  terri- 
tory ;   he  is  defeated  and  his  land  seized  by  the  Israelites. 

26.  Kedemoth,  a  city  assigned  to  Reuben,  Josh.  13  :  8  f.,  which 
must  have  been  situated  north  of  the  Arnon.  "  Heshbon  is 
frequently  mentioned  as  the  capital  of  Sihon  (Num.  21 :  26,  34; 
Jud.  II :  19,  etc.) ;  it  was  situated  on  a  low  hill  rising  out  of  the 
elevated  tableland  (3 :  10)  about  16  miles  east  of  the  Jordan, 
where  its  ruins  (of  the  Roman  period)  are  still  visible  "  (Driver), 

47 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


go  ^  along  by  the  high  way,^  I  will  neither  turn  unto 

28.  the  right  hand  nor  to  the  left.  Thou  shalt  sell  me 
food  for  money,  that  I  may  eat ;  and  give  me  water 
for  money,   that  I  may  drink:    only  let  me  pass 

29.  through  on  my  feet;  as  the  children  of  Esau  which 
dwell  in  Seir,  and  the  Moabites  which  dwell  in  Ar,  did 
unto  me ;  until  I  shall  pass  over  Jordan  into  the  land 

30.  which  the  Lord  our  God  giveth  us.  But  Sihon  king 
of  Heshbon  would  not  let  us  pass  by  him:  for  the 
Lord  thy  God  hardened  his  spirit,  and  made  his  heart 
obstinate,^  that  he  might  deliver  him  into  thy  hand, 

31.  as  at  this  day.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  me.  Behold, 
I  have  begun  to  deliver  up  Sihon  ^  and  his  land  before 
thee:  ^ begin  to  possess,  that  thou  mayest  inherit^ 

32.  his  land.     Then  Sihon  came  out  against  us,  he  and  all 

33.  his  people,  unto  battle  at  Jahaz.  And  the  Lord  our 
God  delivered  him  up  before  us ;  and  we  smote  him, 

34.  and  his  sons,^  and  all  his  people.  And  we  took  all 
his  cities  at  that  time,  and  utterly  destroyed  every 
inhabited  city,  with  the  women  and  the  little  ones; 

»  m.  Heb.  by  the  way,  by  the  way.  *  m.  Heb.  strong.  '  Sam.  Gr.  add  king  of 
Heshbon,  the  Amorite.  *  Gr.  begin  to  take  possession  0/.  "  m.  son,  but  Sam.  Gr. 
Syr.  Vg.  read  sons. 

27.  "  By  the  way  I  will  go,"  emphatic,  meaning  I  will  keep  to 
the  way.     Cf.  Num.  21 :  22,  "  in  the  king's  way  will  we  go." 

28.  The  inhabitants  of  a  land  are  near  the  cisterns  and  other 
sources  of  supply;  they  are  justified  in  exacting  reasonable  toll 
from  passing  caravans. 

30.  Genuine  peaceful  overtures  are  made,  but  Yahweh  hardens 
the  heart  of  the  king  for  the  twofold  purpose  of  punishing  his 
wickedness  and  doing  good  to  Israel ;  cf .  the  similar  case  of  Pha- 
raoh, Exod.  9 :  34. 

32.  Jahaz,  south  of  Heshbon,  but  the  exact  position  cannot  be 
determined,  Josh.  13  :  18;   Isa.  15  :  4. 

34.  Num.  21 :  24  does  not  bring  out  this  feature  of  the  situation. 
"  We  devoted  (executed  the  ban  upon)  every  city,  the  men,  the 

48 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


35.  we  left  none  remaining:  only  the  cattle  we  took  for 
a  prey  unto  ourselves,  with  the  spoil  of  the  cities 

36.  which  we  had  taken.  From  Aroer,  which  is  on  the 
edge  of  the  valley  of  Arnon,  and  from  the  city  that 
is  in  the  valley,  even  unto  Gilead,  there  was  not  a  city 
too  high  for  us :  the  Lord  our  God  delivered  up  all 

37.  ^  before  us  ^ :  only  to  the  land  of  the  children  of  Am- 
mon  thou  camest  not  near;  all  the  side  of  the  river 
Jabbok,  and  the  cities  of  the  hill  country,  ^and  where- 
soever 2  the  Lord  our  God  ^  forbad  us.^ 

3.  Then  we  turned,  and  went  up  the  way  to  Bashan : 
and  Og  the  king  of  Bashan  came  out  against  us,  he 

2.  and  all  his  people,  unto  battle  at  Edrei.  And  the 
Lord  said  unto  me.  Fear  him  not:  for  I  have  de- 
livered him,  and  all  his  people,  and  his  land,  into  thy 
hand ;  and  thou  shalt  do  unto  him  as  thou  didst  unto 
Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites,  which  dwelt  at  Heshbon. 

1  Sam.  Gr.  into  our  hand.       *  Gr.  according  to  all.        »  Sam.  Gr.  commanded  us. 


women,  and  children.     We  did  not  allow  any  one  to  escape." 
Cf.  7:  2,3;   20:  17. 

36.  The  geographical  statements  are  vague,  but  the  meaning 
evidently  is  that  they  swept  the  whole  extent  of  Sihon's  territory. 

37.  The  limits  of  their  conquest  were  marked  out  by  Divine 
command;  cf.  v.  19  and  Josh.  22:  25.  They  kept  clear  of  the 
whole  side  of  the  torrent  of  the  Jabbok  and  the  cities  of  the  hill 
country.  The  Jabbok,  a  notable  east  Jordan  stream ;  its  valley 
has  remarkable  features  and  served  well  the  purposes  of  a  boun- 
dary;   see  the  famous  incident,  Gen.  32:  24. 

1-7.  The  Conquest  of  Og,  king  of  Bashan;    cf.  Num.  21:  33-35. 

1.  Bashan,  an  east- Jordan  land  north  of  the  Jarmuk,  stretch- 
ing to  Hermon  in  the  north  and  to  the  Hauran  in  the  east.  With 
the  article  it  probably  means  the  fruitful  plain.  It  is  mostly 
associated  with  the  name  of  Og.  Edrei  (i :  4),  a  royal  city  on  its 
southern  border. 

2.  I  have  delivered.  The  perfect  of  confidence  or  certainty 
common  in  speeches  attributed  to  Yahweh. 

E  49 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


So  the  LosD  our  God  delivered  into  our  hand  Og  also, 
the  king  of  Bashan,  and  all  his  people :  and  we  smote 
him  imtil  none  was  left  to  him  remaining.  And  we 
took  all  his  dties  at  that  time ;  there  was  not  a  city 
which  we  took  not  from  them;  threescore  cities,  all 
the  region  of  Argob,  the  kingdom  of  Og  in  Bashan. 
All  these  were  dties  fenced  with  high  walls,  gates, 
and  bars ;  beside  the  unwalled  towns  ^  a  great  many. 
And  we  utterly  destroyed  them,  as  we  did  unto  Sihon 
king  of  Heshbon,  utterly  destroying  every  inhabited 
dty,  with'  the  women  and  the  Uttle  ones.  But  all 
the  cattle,  and  the  spoil  of  the  dties,  we  took  for  a 
prey  unto  ourselves.  And  we  took  the  land  at  that 
time  out  of  the  hand  of  the  two  kings  of  the  Amor- 
ites  that  were  beyond  Jordan,  from  the  valley  of 
Amon*  xmto  nK>unt  Hermon;  (which  Hermon  the 
Sidonians  call  Sirion,  and  the  Amorites  call  it  Senir ;) 


(k.  Sit.  add  ( 


*  Gr.  Srt.  Vf.  Tar.  mi  (the  woaea).  •  7  Mm.  Sun. 


4.  The  predsc  sitiudon  of  the  r^ioa  of  Argob  is  not  known ; 
it  b  tappoaed  by  many  to  be  the  same  as  Tradionitis  (now  el- 
Leja),  a  district  about  tiunr  miles  sooth  of  Damascus,  and  forty 
miles  east  ol  tlie  Sea  of  GaOee. 

5.  Thcae  wen  fortified  dties  and  open  (uninhabited)  places; 
thef  cannot  now  be  identified ;  many  01  the  ruins  at  present  found 
in  tins  r^ion  ase  those  of  buildings  belonging  to  a  much  later 
time.  Bnt  a  ooriect  impression  is  given;  the  Israelites  were  a 
synglc  Tkoroos  peopk  going  against  nations  that  were  more 
denized,  bnt  also  more  cormpt. 

^11.  A  summary  of  the  infcnmation  already  given  in  2 :  32- 

S'7' 

8.  Bcfood  Jordaa  is  probably  an  explanatory  addition,  as 
If  OSes  is  q>eaking  at  the  same  «de  of  the  Jordan  as  these  kingdoms 
are  situated. 

g.  Another  anfignarian  note.  Sdoakas,  in  the  O,  T.  the  name 
of  the  PhilistlBesinfeacnL    For  thesenaaesol  the  mountain,  see 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  3: 13 

10.  an  the  dties  of  the  pbin,  and  all  CSkad,  and  all 
Bashan,  unto  Salecah  and  Edici,  dties  ol  the  king- 

11.  dom  of  Og  m  Baidian.    (For  only  0)s  kins  of  Bashan  ^^ 
icmained  of  the  icmnant  of  the  Rqihaim;   behold, 
he  bedstead  was  a  bedstead  of  iron;   is  it  noC  in 
Kabbah  of  the  dddfcn  of  Ambob?  HBecalHtsm 
tiK  length  dneof,  and  fonr  ddiits  tihe  taBeaddk  of  it, 

12.  after  the  cubit  of  a  man.)    And  Ois  had  ipe  took  in  D* 
pofisesaanatthattnie:  finmAnxi^vychisbgr^  Ae 
valley  of  Anon,  and  half  Ae  ha  ooMtij  of 
and  tiie  cities  thcieof,  ffsf^  I  nalD  di 

13.  and  to  tiK  Gndites:  and  the  rest  of  Giead.  and  al 
Bashan,  the  tiBginw  of  0&  gK^  I  nnto  Ae  half  D» 
tiibe  of  Manrwrh;  afl  the  n^aa  of  Aipib,  even  al 


Qu^fK-T^Ts-mMi 


3: 14 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


Bashan.     (The  same  is  called  the  land  of  Rephaim.^ 

14.  Jair  the  son  of  Manasseh  took  all  the  region  of  Argob, 
unto  the  border  of  the  Geshurites  and  the  Maaca- 
thites;  and  called  them,  even  Bashan,  after  his  own 
name,  Havvoth-jair,  unto  this  day.) 

15,  16.  And  I  gave  Gilead  unto  Machir.  And  unto  the 
Reubenites  and  unto  the  Gadites  I  gave  from  Gilead 
even  unto  the  valley  of  Arnon,  the  middle  of  the 
valley,^  and  the  border  thereof^  even  unto  the  river 
Jabbok,  which  is  the  border  of  the  children  of  Am- 

17.  mon;   the  Arabah  also,  and  Jordan  and^  the  border 

thereof y^  from  Chinnereth  even  unto  the  sea  of  the 

Arabah,  the  Salt  Sea,  under  the  slopes*  of  Pisgah 

eastward. 

D2  18.       And  I  commanded  you  at  that  time,  saying.  The 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  insert  and  (Jair,  etc.).  *  m./or  a  border.  »  Gr.  om.  and. 

*  m.  springs. 

Then  from  "  All  Bashan  is  called  the  land  of  Rephaim  "  to  the 
end  of  V.  17  we  have  a  supplementary  and  probably  secondary 
statement  concerning  the  same  territory. 

14.  The  writer  for  some  reason  has  set  the  tent-villages  of  Jair 
in  Bashan  instead  of  Gilead  ;  cf.  Num.  32  :  39^41 ;  i  Chron.  2  :  22  f. 
Judg.  10 :  3-5  places  Jair  in  a  later  age,  while  Josh,  13  :  30  is  re- 
lated to  our  present  text.  Unto  this  day  implies  a  considerable 
stretch  of  time.  Geshur  and  Ma'acah,  two  Aramaean  tribes  of 
the  west  of  Bashan ;  down  to  the  time  of  David  they  were  ruled 
by  independent  kings,  2  Sam.  3  :  3,  etc. 

15.  Probably  taken  from  Num.  32  :  40. 

16-17.  Substantially  a  repetition  of  v.  12  with  further  particu- 
lars as  to  the  boundaries.  To  those  two  tribes  were  given  a 
region  extending  from  Gilead  on  the  north,  to  the  Arnon  on  the 
south,  to  the  Jabbok  on  the  east,  and  comprising  the  east  valley  of 
the  Jordan,  from  Gennesareth  down  to  the  Dead  Sea,  to  the  slopes 
of  Pisgah.  The  Arabah,  "  the  deep  depression  through  which 
the  Jordan  flows,  in  which  the  Dead  Sea  is  situated,  and  which  is 
prolonged  south  of  this  to  the  Gulf  of  Akabah  "  (Driver).  The 
name  may  be  applied  to  either  the  higher  or  lower  parts  of  this 
valley. 

52 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  3 ;  2,« 

Lord  your  God  hath  given  you  this  land  to  possess 
it :  ye  shall  pass  over  armed  before  your  brethren  the 

19.  children  of  Israel,  all  the  men  of  valour.  But  your 
wives,  and  your  little  ones,  and  your  cattle,  (I  know 
that  ye  have  much  cattle,)  shall  abide  in  your  cities 

20.  which  I  have  given  you;  imtil  the  Lord  give  rest 
unto  your  brethren,  as  unto  you,  and  they  also  pos- 
sess the  land  which  the  Lord  your  God  giveth  them 
beyond  Jordan :  then  shall  ye  return  every  man  unto 

21.  his  possession,  which  I  have  given  you.    And  I  com-  D» 
manded  Joshua  at  that  time,  saying,  Thine  eyes  have 
seen  all  that  the  Lord  your  God  hath  done  unto 
these  two  kings:   so  shall  the  Lord  do  unto  all  the 

22.  kingdoms  whither  thou  goest  over.  Ye^  shall  not 
fear  them:  for  the  Lord  your  God,  he  it  is  that 
fighteth  for  you. 

23.  24.  And  I  besought  the  Lord  at  that  time,  saying,  d^ 
O  Lord  God,  thou  hast  begun  to  shew  thy  servant  thy 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  thou. 

18-20.  The  tribes  on  the  east  of  Jordan  are  exhorted  to  help 
their  brethren  to  gain  a  firm  position  on  the  other  side,  Num. 
32  :  16  f.,  Josh.  1 :  12-16. 

19.  The  east- Jordan  tribes  to  whom  the  command  was  given 
were  a  pastoral  more  than  an  agricultural  people. 

20.  Beyond  Jordan,  cf.  v.  8. 

21-22.  Joshua  commanded  to  take  encouragement  from  the  past 
dealings  of  their  God.  This  statement  anticipates  v.  28,  and 
Moses  has  not  yet  been  assured  that  he  must  give  up  the  leader- 
ship. 

22.  Repeats  i :  30. 

23-29.  The  prayer  of  Moses  to  be  allowed  to  enter  into  the 
land  west  of  the  Jordan  is  rejected ;  he  may  view  the  land  from 
Pisgah,  and  he  must  appoint  Joshua  as  his  successor ;  cf .  the  differ- 
ent narrative  of  the  same  events,  Num.  27:  12-21  (P). 

23.  At  that  time,  soon  after  the  victory  over  Sihon  and  Og. 

24.  Lord  Yahweh,  a  title  used  more  in  the  prophetic  than  the 

53 


3:25 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


greatness,  and  thy  strong  hand:    for  what  god  is 
there  in  heaven  or  in  earth,  that  can  do  according  to 

25.  thy  works,  and  according  to  thy  mighty  acts?  Let 
me  go  over,  I  pray  thee,  and  see  the  good  land  that 
is  beyond^  Jordan,  that  goodly  mountain,  and  Leb- 

26.  anon.  But  the  Lord  was  wroth  with  me  for  your 
sakes,  and  hearkened  not  unto  me:  and  the  Lord 
said  unto  me.  Let  it  suffice  thee ;  speak  no  more  unto 

27.  me  of  this  matter.  Get  thee  up  into  the  top  of  Pis- 
gah,  and  Uft  up  thine  eyes  westward,  and  northward, 
and  southward,  and  eastward,  and  behold  with  thine 

28.  eyes:  for  thou  shalt  not  go  over  this  Jordan.  But 
charge  Joshua,  and  encourage  him,  and  strengthen 
him:  for  he  shall  go  over  before  this  people,  and  he 
shall  cause  them  to  inherit  the  land  which  thou  shalt 

29.  see.  So  we  abode  in  the  valley  over  against  Beth- 
peor. 

1  SV  has,  here  and  in  similar  cases,  the  Jordan. 

historical  books.  The  greatness  of  Israel's  God  has  been  revealed 
in  the  mighty  acts  so  far  related,  but  there  is  a  richer  revelation 
to  come,  and  Moses  longs  to  share  in  this.  In  his  words  the  patri- 
otic feeling  of  the  Hebrew  people  finds  expression,  the  noble  hill- 
country  that  they  love  he  was  not  allowed  to  see. 

26.  Yahweh  was  enraged  with  him  (a  very  strong  word)  on 
account  of  the  people,  1:37  and  4:21,  and  commanded  him  to  let 
the  matter  drop. 

27.  From  the  top  of  Pisgah  he  may  view  the  land  in  all  direc- 
tions, cf.  34:  I.     Eastward  must  not  be  taken  too  literally. 

28.  Cf.  the  account  in  Num.  27  (P)  which  appears  to  be  set  at  a 
time  before  the  events  narrated  in  this  chapter.  All  further  refer- 
ence in  Deuteronomy  to  the  carrying  out  of  this  command  is 
contained  in  the  statement  that  Moses  encouraged  Joshua  (31 :  7), 
and  that  the  Lord  gave  him  a  charge  (31 :  14-23). 

29.  In  this  indirect  fashion  the  author  states  where  the  Law 
was  given.  In  one  of  the  glens  or  ravines  of  the  Abarim  range  to 
which  Pisgah  belongs,  opposite  the  sanctuary  of  the  Moabitish 
god  Ba'al-Pe'or. 

54 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


4:3 


f. 


And  now,  O  Israel,  hearken  unto  the  statutes  and 
unto  the  judgements,^  which  I  teach  you,  for  to  do 
them;  that  ye  may  hve,  and  go  in  and  possess  the 
land  which  the  Lord,  the  God  of  your  fathers,  giveth 
you.  Ye  shall  not  add  unto  the  word  which  I  com-  Rev.  22 :  18 
mand  you,  neither  shall  ye  diminish  from  it,  that  ye 
may  keep  the  commandments  of  the  Lord  your  God 
which  I  command  you.^ 

Your  eyes  have  seen  what  the  Lord  did  because  of 
Baal-peor:  for  all  the  men  that  followed  Baal-peor, 
the  Lord  thy^  God  hath  destroyed  them  from  the 


1  In  all  such  as  4:  i,  45;   6:1,  etc.,  SV  substitutes  ordinances  for  iudgements. 
*  Gr.  adds  to-day.        »  Gr.  your  (pi.). 


3.  A  Series  of  Exhortations  and  Warnings;  4:  1-40 

This  chapter  is  evidently  composite ;  the  greater  part  of  it  con- 
sists of  earnest  exhortations  based  upon  the  facts  of  Israel's  own 
history  and  may  be  divided  into  the  four  following  sections:  — 

1-8.  Warning  based  on  recent  experience. 

9-24.  Lesson  drawn  from  the  revelation  at  Horeb  against  wor- 
ship of  images. 

25-31.  God  will  punish  idolatry  with  exile,  but  will,  even  in  that 
dire  extremity,  have  mercy  on  the  truly  penitent. 

32-40.  Yahweh  must  be  recognized  as  the  only  God  who  has 
given  a  wonderful  revelation  of  himself  in  history. 

1-8.  From  the  recent  terrible  experience  at  Ba'al-Pe'or  they 
must  learn  the  need  of  strict  obedience. 

1.  And  now,  transition  to  something  of  great  importance,  cf. 
10 :  12.  Statutes  and  judgements,  given  in  12  ff.  This  phrase  is 
common  in  writers  of  the  Deuteronomic  school ;  the  former  word 
refers  to  ordinances  engraven  in  permanent  form,  the  latter  to 
judicial  decisions  which  constitute  authoritative  precedents,  but 
they  tend  to  be  used  in  a  general  sense.  Deuteronomy  lays  great 
stress  on  true  teaching  and  loyal  discipleship. 

2.  Cf.  12  :  32.  Perhaps  not  yet  in  the  absolute  literal  sense  of 
Rev,  22 :  18,  but  here  is  a  beginning  of  canonical  law. 

3.  4.  The  great  lesson  so  prominent  in  many  parts  of  this  book 
that  those  who  obey  the  law  shall  escape  disastrous  judgments 
and   enjoy   abiding   prosperity   is   proved   from   Israel's   recent 

55 


4:4 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


midst  of  thee.^  But  ye  that  did  cleave  unto  the 
Lord  your  God  are  aUve  every  one  of  you  this  day. 
Behold,  I  have  taught  you  statutes  and  judgements, 
even  as  the  Lord  my  God  commanded  me,  that  ye 
should  do  so  in  the  midst  of  the  land  whither  ye  go 
in  to  possess  it.  Keep  therefore  and  do  them;  for 
this  is  your  wisdom  and  your  understanding  in  the 
sight  of  the  peoples,  which  shall  hear  all  these  statutes, 
and  say.  Surely  this  great  nation  is  a  wise  and  under- 
standing people.  For  what  great  nation  is  there,  that 
hath  a  god  so  nigh  unto  them,  as  the  Lord  our  God 
is  whensoever  we  call  upon  him?  And  what  great 
nation  is  there,  that  hath  statutes  and  judgements  so 
righteous  as  all  this  law,  which  I  set  before  you  this 
day? 

»  Gr.  us. 


experience  (Num.  25:  1-5  (JE)).  Ba'al-Pe'or.  The  name  both 
of  the  god  (Ba'al  of  Pe'or)  and  of  the  place  where  he  was  wor- 
shipped. The  Ba'al  was  the  god  or  lord  of  a  particular  locality 
or  possessing  a  special  attribute. 

5.  I  have  taught  you.  It  is  supposed  by  some  that  this  refers 
to  earlier  teaching  at  Horeb,  by  others  that  the  passage  origi- 
nally belonged  to  the  close  of  the  book ;  probably  the  best  ex- 
planation is  that  it  is  a  lively  form  of  the  present  after  the  im- 
perative Behold;  thus  it  would  connect  with  the  previous 
chapters, 

6.  Israel's  wisdom  is  in  loyalty  to  the  Law  which  apparently 
restricts  its  freedom  but  in  reality  guides  and  elevates  its  life; 
the  national  prosperity  and  greatness  resulting  from  this  obedi- 
ence shall  lead  other  nations  to  recognize  its  real  cause. 

7.  The  gods  of  other  nations  do  not  enter  so  deeply  into  their 
life  as  Yahweh  has  entered  into  the  life  of  Israel. 

8.  And  no  great  nation  has  a  law  which  reveals  so  fully  the 
righteousness  of  God  and  corresponds  so  completely  to  man's 
moral  needs.  This  verse  shows  a  proud  consciousness  of  Israel's 
religious  superiority  which  history  has  fully  justified,  but  taken  in 
a  one-sided  fashion  it  may  breed  a  narrow  sectarianism. 

S6 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  4  :  13 

9.   Only  take  heed  to  thyself,  and  keep  thy  soul  dili-  D 
gently,  lest  thou  forget  the  things  which  thine  eyes 
saw,  and  lest  they  depart  from  thy  heart  all  the  days 
of  thy  life ;  but  make  them  known  unto  thy  children 

10.  and  thy  children's  children;  the  day  that  thou 
stoodest  before  the  Lord  thy  God  in  Horeb,  when 
the  Lord  said  unto  me.  Assemble  me  the  people,  and 
I  will  make  them  hear  my  words,  that  they  may  learn 
to  fear  me  all  the  days  that  they  Uve  upon  the  earth, 

11.  and  that  they  may  teach  their  children.  And  ye 
came  near  and  stood  under  the  mountain ;  and  the 
mountain  burned  with  fire  unto  the  heart  of  heaven,  Heb.  12: 

12.  with  darkness,  cloud,  and  thick  darkness.    And  the      ^^^• 
Lord  spake  unto  you  out  of  the  midst  of  the  fire :  ye 
heard  the  voice  of  words,  but  ye  saw  no  form ;   only 

13.  ye  heard  a  voice.  And  he  declared  unto  you  his 
covenant,  which  he  commanded  you  to  perform,  even 


9-24,  Yahweh,  who  appeared  without  visible  form  at  Horeb, 
must  not  be  worshipped  with  images. 

9.  Take  heed,  etc.  A  favorite  Deuteronomic  form  of  exhorta- 
tion, cf .  V.  23  ;  6  :  12,8:  11,  etc.  The  heart  is  the  seat  of  the  mind ; 
here  the  call  is  to  thoughtful  remembrance  of  the  past,  cf.  8 :  2. 
On  teaching  to  children,  cf.  6 :  7. 

10.  The  day  in  which  they  stood  before  Yahweh  at  Horeb  is 
specified  as  one  of  the  things  they  must  not  forget.  The  purpose 
of  the  revelation  was  that  they  might  learn  to  fear  God  and  teach 
their  children  to  fear  him,  this  fear  to  be  shown  by  keeping  the 
Law. 

11.  The  heart,  centre  or  innermost  part,  Exod.  15  :  8. 

12.  The  voice  of  Yahweh  could  be  heard  from  the  fire,  but  he 
was  in  no  way  visible,  not  even  in  dim  outline  (Job  4  :  16) ;  there 
was  no  shape  or  figure,  Exod.  20:4;  cf.,  however.  Num.  12:8; 
Ps.  17:  15. 

13-14.  A  digression,  if  not  an  addition,  see  5:  22-31.  Moses 
is  here  concerned  with  the  manner  rather  than  the  substance  of 
the  revelation.  Covenant.  Used  in  7 :  2  in  the  sense  of  a  league 
among  men,  when  certain  obligations  are  laid  on  the  inferior  party. 

57 


4: 14 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


the  ten  commandments ;  ^   and  he  wrote  them  upon 

14.  two  tables  of  stone.  And  the  Lord  commanded  me 
at  that  time  to  teach  you  statutes  and  judgements, 
that  ye  might  do  them  in  the  land  whither  ye  go  over 
to  possess  it. 

15.  Take  ye  therefore  good  heed  imto  yourselves;  for 
ye  saw  no  manner  of  form  on  the  day  that  the  Lord 
spake  unto  you  in  Horeb  out  of  the  midst  of  the  fire : 

16.  lest  ye  corrupt  yourselves,  and  make  you  a  graven 
image  in  the  form  of  any  figure,  the  Ukeness  of  male 

17.  or  female,  the  likeness  of  any  beast  that  is  on  the 
earth,  the  likeness  of  any  winged  fowl  that  flieth  in 

18.  the  heaven,  the  likeness  ^of  any  thing  that  creepeth 
on  the  ground,^  the  likeness  of  any  fish  that  is  in  the 

19.  water  under  the  earth:  and  lest  thou  lift  up  thine 
eyes  unto  heaven,  and  when  thou  seest  the  sun  and 

J  m.  Heb.  words.        '  Gr.  of  any  creeping  thing  that  creepeth,  etc. 

Elsewhere  God  is  one  of  the  contracting  parties;  he  or  Moses 
in  his  name  makes  (cuts)  the  covenant  with  Israel.  Note  the 
covenant  made  with  the  fathers,  4:  31,  at  Horeb,  5:2;  29:  25; 
in  Moab,  29 :  i.  The  covenant  is  made  in  solemn  ceremony  with 
sacrificial  observances,  Gen.  15:8-10  (JE).  Here  the  word  is 
applied  to  the  conditions  of  the  Covenant,  the  Law.  These 
terms  and  conditions  Moses  must  make  clear  in  his  instructions 
to  the  people. 

15-20.  A  warning,  based  on  v.  12,  against  making  images  of 
God. 

16.  A  graven  image  in  the  form  of  any  statue,  then  more  specifi- 
cally a  copy  or  model  of  a  man  or  woman. 

17-18.  Then  the  prohibition  is  extended  to  take  in  its  compass 
the  making  of  copies  or  models  of  all  kinds  of  animals.  The 
"  graven  image  "  was  originally  of  carved  wood  or  hewn  stone, 
but  later  included  molten  images  (Isa.  40:  19).  Statue,  a  rare 
word,  only  again  Ezek.  8 :  3,  5 ;  2  Chron.  33  :  7,  15.  Such  wor- 
ship was  not  uncommon  in  the  Semitic  world,  and  even  threat- 
ened the  religion  of  Israel,  Ezek.  8 :  10. 

19-21    (i).     The   heavenly  bodies   have  great  splendor  and 

S8 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


4:24 


the  moon  and  the  stars,  even  all  the  host  of  heaven, 
thou  be  drawn  away  and  worship  them,  and  serve 
them,  which  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  divided  unto  all 

20.  the  peoples  under  the  whole  heaven.  But  the  Lord 
hath  taken  you,  and  brought  you  forth  out  of  the 
iron  furnace,  out  of  Egypt,  to  be  unto  him  a  people 
of  inheritance,  as  at  this  day. 

21.  Furthermore  the  Lord  was  angry  with  me  for  your 
sakes,  and  sware  that  I  should  not  go  over  Jordan, 
and  that  I  should  not  go  in  unto  that  good  land, 
which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee  for  an  inherit- 

22.  ance :  but  I  must  die  in  this  land,  I  must  not  go  over 
Jordan :  but  ye  shall  go  over,  and  possess  that  good 

23.  land.  Take  heed  unto  yourselves,  lest  ye  forget  the 
covenant  of  the  Lord  your  God,  which  he  made 
with  you,  and  make  you  a  graven  image  in  the  form 
of  any  thing  which  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  forbidden 

24.  thee.    For  the  Lord  thy  God  is  a  devouring  fire,  a  Heb.  12 :  29 
jealous  God. 

attraction,  but  even  these  must  not  be  worshipped  in  Israel.  This 
danger  seemed  to  have  come  in  with  greater  force  after  the  eighth 
century  when  the  Assyrian  and  Babylonian  influence  was  strong, 
2  Kings  17:  10 ;   Zeph.  1:5;   Jer.  7:18;   8:2;    Ezek.  8:16. 

(2)  Note  the  striking  statement  that  Yahweh  has  allotted  the 
heavenly  bodies,  as  objects  of  worship,  to  other  nations,  cf.  32  :  8. 

(3)  But  Israel  he  has  redeemed  to  be  his  peculiar  possession 
7:6;  14  :  2.  Without  his  help  Egypt  would  have  been  to  them  a 
destructive  fire,  like  a  furnace  for  smelting  iron,  Jer.  11 :  4.^  Be- 
cause of  their  great  history  they  should  be  ashamed  of  yielding  to 
heathen  rites  and  customs. 

21.  Again  the  sad  thought  that  Moses  himself  is  to  have  no 
part  in  this  glorious  inheritance,  1:37;  3  :  26.  The  oath  is  not 
elsewhere  mentioned  in  this  connection. 

23.  Because  they  are  now  about  to  lose  their  leader  they  must 
beware  not  to  forget  this  great  exhortation  against  image  wor- 
ship. 

24.  And  this  all  the  more  because  Yahweh  is  a  devouring  fire 

59 


4  :  25  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

DE  25.  When  thou^  shalt  beget  children,  and  children's 
children,  and  ye  shall  have  been  long  in  the  land,  and 
shall  corrupt  yourselves,  and  make  a  graven  image  in 
the  form  of  any  thing,  and  shall  do  that  which  is  evil 
in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  thy^  God,  to  provoke  him 

26.  to  anger :  I  call  heaven  and  earth  to  witness  against 
you  this  day,  that  ye  shall  soon  utterly  perish  from 
off  the  land  whereunto  ye  go  over  Jordan  to  possess 
it ;  ye  shall  not  prolong  your  days  upon  it,  but  shall 

27.  utterly  be  destroyed.  And  the  Lord  shall  scatter  you 
among  the  peoples,  and  ye  shall  be  left  few  in  num- 
ber among  the  nations,  whither  the  Lord  shall  lead 

28.  you  away.  And  there  ye  shall  serve  gods,  the  work 
of  men's  hands,  wood  and  stone,  which  neither  see, 

29.  nor  hear,  nor  eat,  nor  smell.  But  if  from  thence  ye ' 
shall  seek  the  Lord  thy  God,  thou  shalt  find  him,  if  thou 
search  after  him  with  all  thy  heart  and  with  all  thy  soul. 

1  Sam.  ye.       *  Sam.  Gr.  your.       »  Sam.  Vg.  Tar.  thou  shalt  seek. 

(9:3,  against  their  enemies),  in  this  sense  that  he  is  jealous  for 
his  own  honor  and  will  not  allow  them  to  give  to  graven  images 
the  worship  due  to  him. 

25-31.  Such  apostasy  will  cause  the  nation  to  be  sent  into 
exile. 

25.  When  they  have  lost  their  youthful  force  and  original 
religious  zeal,  they  may  vex  their  God  by  their  idolatries. 

26.  Then  heaven  and  earth  that  abide  through  all  human 
generations  will  witness  to  God's  faithfulness  and  their  folly, 
cf.  30:  19;   32:1;   Mic.  6  :  2. 

27.  The  promise  of  increase  and  prosperity  cannot  be  fulfilled; 
they  shall  become  a  miserable  few  in  an  alien  world. 

28.  The  punishment  shall  partake  of  the  nature  of  the  sin; 
in  a  foreign  land  they  must  worship  false  gods,  and  surely  these 
are  miserable  creatures,  Isa.  40:  20;  44:  19. 

29-31.  The  ever  faithful  God  will  show  mercy  to  those  who 
are  penitent. 

29.  In  the  hour  of  sorrow  God  may  be  sought  and  found  if  the 

60 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  4  :  34 

30.  When  thou  art  in  tribulation,  and  all  these  things  are 
come  upon  thee,  ^in  the  latter  days  thou  shalt  return^ 

31.  to  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  hearken  unto  his  voice :  for 
the  Lord  thy  God  is  a  merciful  God ;  he  will  not  fail 
thee,  neither  destroy  thee,  nor  forget  the  covenant  of 

32.  thy  fathers  which  he  sware  unto  them.     For  ask  now  D 
of  the  days  that  are  past,  which  were  before  thee,  since 
the  day  that  God  created  man  upon  the  earth,  and 
from  the  one  end  of  heaven  unto  the  other,  whether 
there  hath  been  any  such  thing  as  this  great  thing  is,  or 

33.  hath  been  heard  like  it?  Did  ever  people  hear  the 
voice  of  God  2  speaking  out  of  the  midst  of  the  fire, 

34.  as  thou  hast  heard,  and  live  ?  Or  hath  God  assayed  to 
go  and  take  him  a  nation  from  the  midst  of  another 
nation,  by  temptations,^  by  signs,  and  by  wonders,  and 
by  war,  and  by  a  mighty  hand,  and  by  a  stretched  out 
arm,  and  by  great  terrors,  according  to  all  that  the 

1  m.  if  in  the  later  days  thou  return.  *  Sam.  Gr.  voice  of  a  living  God.  » m.  trials 
or  evidences. 

repentance  is  real,  involving  a  real  change  of  the  most  thorough 
kind,  6 :  5, 

30.  In  the  exile  the  faith  of  many  was  destroyed,  but  the  real 
leaders  proved  the  chastening  influence  of  sorrow  and  learned  to 
sing  "  Yahweh's  song  in  a  foreign  land  "  (Ps.  137),  and  were  able 
to  look  for  the  latter  days,  the  new  era  of  blessing. 

32-40.  Yahweh  has  done  great  wonders  in  the  past,  showing 
his  unique  greatness  and  his  graciousness  towards  this  people. 

32.  The  revelation  at  Horeb  is  the  greatest  wonder  ever  known 
through  the  whole  length  of  history  and  the  whole  extent  of  the 
world. 

SS-  Did  any  other  god  ever  give  such  clear  evidence  of  divine 
power,  revealing  himself  in  such  an  overpowering  fashion,  elect- 
ing a  people  out  of  all  the  tribes,  and  redeeming  that  people  out 
of  the  hand  of  its  oppressors? 

34.  And  all  this  with  strange  manifestations  of  power,  signs, 
portents,  and  deeds  that  struck  terror  into  the  heart  of  their  foes. 
The  whole  story  of  the  Exodus  is  the  illustration  of  these  verses. 

61 


4:35 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


Lord  your  ^  God  did  ^  for  you  ^  in  Egypt  before  your 

Mk.i2:32    35.   eyes?     Unto  thee  it  was  shewed,  that  thou  mightest 

know  that  the  Lord  he  is  God;  there  is  none  else  be- 

36.  side  him.  Out  of  heaven  he  made  thee  to  hear  his 
voice,  that  he  might  instruct  thee :  and  upon  earth  he 
made  thee  to  see  his  great  fire ;  and  thou  heardest  his 

37.  words  out  of  the  midst  of  the  fire.  And  because 
he  loved  thy  fathers,  therefore  he  chose  their  seed 
after  them,  and  brought  thee  out  with  his  presence, 

38.  with  his  great  power,  out  of  Egypt;  to  drive  out 
nations  from  before  thee  greater  and  mightier  than 
thou,  to  bring  thee  in,  to  give  thee  their  land  for  an  in- 

39.  heritance,  as  at  this  day.  Know  therefore  this  day, 
and  lay  it  to  thine  heart,  that  the  Lord  he  is  God  in 
heaven  above  and  upon  the  earth  beneath:   there  is 

40.  none  else.  And  thou  shalt  keep  his  statutes,  and 
his  commandments,  which  I  command  thee  this  day, 
that  it  may  go  well  with  thee,  and  with  thy  children 
after  thee,  and  that  thou  mayest  prolong  thy  days 
upon  the  land,  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee, 
for  ever. 

D»  41.       Then  Moses  separated^  three  cities  beyond  Jordan 

1  Gr.  our  God.        *  Gr.  om.        «  SV  set  apart. 

35-40.  The  purpose  of  all  this  is  that  Israel  may  recognize 
Yahweh's  unique  divinity  and  glory, 

39.  He  is  God  in  heaven  above  and  upon  the  earth  beneath : 
there  is  none  else,  and  therefore  this  people  must  accept  this  teach- 
ing and  obey  the  Law  as  the  condition  of  continued  prosperity. 

4.  Moses  appoints  Three  Cities  of  Refuge  in  the  Territory  East  of 
the  Jordan;  vs.  41-43 

41.  Separated.  Appointed  for  this  particular  purpose. 
Beyond  Jordan  (AV  on  this  side  Jordan),  from  west- Jordan  stand- 
point ;  cf .  I :  I ;  3  :  8,  etc. 

62 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  4  :  45 

42.  toward  the  sunrising;  that  the  manslayer  might  flee 
thither,  which  slayeth  his  neighbour  unawares,  and 
hated  him  not  in  time  past;    and  that  fleeing  unto 

43.  one  of  these  cities  he  might  Hve :  namely,  Bezer  in  the 
wilderness,  in  the  plain  country,^  for  the  Reubenites ; 
and  Ramoth  in  Gilead,  for  the  Gadites ;  and  Golan  in 
Bashan,  for  the  Manassites. 

II.  The  Second  Introduction  ;   4 :  44-11 :  32 

44.  And  this  is  the  law  which  Moses  set  before  the  chil-  D 

45.  drenof  Israel :  these  are  the  testimonies,  and  the  stat- 
utes, and  the  judgements,  which  Moses  spake  unto 

^  m.,  table  land. 

42.  They  are  designed  for  the  protection  of  the  unintentional 
manslayer  that  the  law  of  blood  revenge  may  not  be  applied  too 
hastily.     See  on  Chap.  19. 

43.  The  precise  site  of  these  east- Jordan  cities  is  unknown, 
though  the  general  situation  is  clear  ;  cf .  Josh.  20 :  8. 

This  section  makes  a  break  in  the  narrative  and  is  probably 
from  the  hand  of  the  editor  who  joined  the  Priestly  Document 
to  the  older  historical  and  legal  material,  who  inserted  here,  after 
the  narrative  of  the  conquest  of  this  territory  (see  Chap.  3),  the 
names  of  the  trans-Jordanic  Cities  of  Refuge  said  to  have  been 
appointed  by  Moses.  Note,  then,  (i)  Chap.  19  demands  the 
appointment  of  three  cities  with  provision  for  three  more  if  the 
territory  is  increased. 

(2)  P's  law  in  Num.  35  :  10  f.  says  that  when  they  have  reached 
Palestine  they  shall  appoint  six  cities,  three  for  each  side  of  the 
Jordan. 

(3)  According  to  Josh.  20 :  8  these  cities  were  appointed  by 
Joshua. 

I.  A  New  Superscription;  4 :  44-49 

44.  Probably  a  link  between  the  First  Introduction  (i  :  1-4  :  43) 
and  the  body  of  laws  contained  in  Chaps.  12-26,  28. 

45.  Superscription  to  the  Second  Introduction  (4:  45-11 :  32) 
and  the  Deuteronomic  Laws  (12-26,28).  A  "testimony,"  a 
solemn  authoritative  declaration ;  in  P,  used  specially  of  the 
Ten  Commandments,  Exod.  25 :  16. 

63 


4:46  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

the  children  of  Israel,  when  they  came  forth  out  of 
D^^  46.  Egypt;  beyond  Jordan,  in  the  valley  over  against 
Beth-peor,  in  the  land  of  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites, 
who  dwelt  at  Heshbon,  whom  Moses  and  the  children 
of  Israel  smote,  when  they  came  forth  out  of  Egypt: 

47.  and  they  took  his  land  in  possession,  and  the  land  of 
Og  king  of  Bashan,  the  two  kings  of  the  Amorites, 
which  were  beyond  Jordan    toward  the   sunrising; 

48.  from  Aroer,  which  is  on  the  edge  of  the  valley  of  Arnon, 

49.  even  unto  mount  Sion  ^  (the  same  is  Hermon),  and  all 
the  Arabah  beyond  Jordan  eastward,  even  unto  the 
sea  of  the  Arabah,  under  the  slopes  ^  of  Pisgah. 

D^  5.  And  Moses  called  unto  all  Israel,  and  said  unto 
them.  Hear,  0  Israel,  the  statutes  and  the  judgements 
which  I  speak  in  your  ears  this  day,  that  ye  may  learn 

2.  them,  and  observe  to  do  them.    The  Lord  our  God 

3.  made  a  covenant  with  us  in  Horeb.    The  Lord  made 
not  this  covenant  with  our  fathers,  but  with  us,  even 

1  Syr.  Sirion.        *  m.  springs. 

46-49.  A  supplementary  passage  consisting  of  statements 
found  in  1-3.  Sion,  a  name  for  Hermon  which  does  not  occur 
elsewhere ;  cf .  3  :  9. 

2.  Discourse  of  Moses  recalling  the  Covenant  at  Horeb  and  the  Ten 
Commandments ;  Chap,  s 

Because  of  the  covenant  made  at  Horeb  on  the  basis  of  the 
Ten  Commandments,  and  because  at  that  time  the  people  desired 
him  to  be  a  mediator,  Moses  calls  upon  them  to  show  sincere 
loyalty  and  strict  obedience  to  Yahweh. 

1-5.  Moses  reminds  the  people  of  the  revelation  given  at 
Horeb.  Hear,  O  Israel.  This  great  discourse  is  marked  by  a 
tone  of  earnest  pleading,  6:4;  9:1. 

2.  On  covenant,  see  4 :  13.  The  obligation  includes  not  merely 
the  "  Ten  Words,"  but  the  whole  Law. 

3.  The  covenant  was  made  with  the  present,  not  with  a  pre- 
vious, generation.     (Our  fathers  may  in  some  cases  refer  to  dis- 

64 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


5:9 


4.  us,  who  are  all  of  us  here  alive  this  day.  The  Lord 
spake  with  you  face  to  face  in  the  mount  out  of  the 

5.  midst  of  the  fire,^  (I  stood  between  the  Lord  and  you  D* 
at  that  time,  to  shew  you  the  word  ^  of  the  Lord  :  for 

ye  were  afraid  because  of  the  fire,  and  went  not  up 
into  the  mount ;)  saying, 

6.  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  which  brought  thee  out  of  D^ 
the  land  of  Egypt,  out  of  the  house  of  bondage.^ 

7.  Thou  shalt  have  none  other  gods  before  me."* 

8.  Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  a  graven  image,^ 
the  likeness  of  any  form  that  is  in  heaven  above,  or  that 
is  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  that  is  in  the  water  under  the 

9.  earth :  thou  shalt  not  bow  down  thyself  unto  them,  nor 

^  Gr.  adds  and  or  hut  I.  *  Sam.  Gr.  Ssrr.  Vg.  Tar.  words.  •  m.  Heb.  bondmen. 
*  m.  beside  me.  ^  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  insert  and  (i.e.,  nor)  (so  Exod.  20:  4).  SV  nor 
any  likeness  of  anything. 

tant  ancestors,  but  here  the  contrast  suggests  something  more 
specific.)  The  author  of  this  passage  does  not  seem  to  have  the 
same  realization  of  the  lapse  of  forty  years  as  is  found  in  i :  35, 
39;  2:  16. 

4.  Face  to  face.  A  strong  expression  of  the  fact  that  here 
Yahweh  addressed  the  "  Ten  Words  "  directly  to  the  people. 

5.  Read  with  the  versions  *'  While  I,  etc.,"  and  "  words  of  Yah- 
weh." This  verse  stands  in  such  strong  contrast  to  4  that  it 
must  be  regarded  as  an  addition  based  on  27,  or  with  RV  treated 
as  a  parenthesis  anticipating  22  £f. ;  in  the  latter  case  the  people 
hear  a  sound  only,  and  Moses  shows  or  declares  the  words,  but 
cf.  22. 

6.  Cf.  Exod.  20 :  2 ;  13  :  3.  The  God  who  demands  obedience 
to  these  laws  is  One  who  has  redeemed  them  from  slavery  and 
given  them  a  new  national  life.  This  we  may  call  an  evangelical 
truth  which  in  the  N.  T.  receives  a  deeper  application  to  the  indi- 
vidual soul. 

7.  "Beside  me"  (RV  marg.)  is  clearer;  the  sense  is,  except 
me  thou  shalt  have  no  other  god  or  gods. 

8-11.  Cf.   4:25fiF.      The    construction   of    v.   8  is  diflScult. 

The  sense  is,  **  Thou  shalt  not  make  a  graven  image  (of  thy  God) 

nor  a  copy  of  anything  that  is  in  heaven  above,"  etc.     In  the 

earlier  days  of  the  Hebrew  religion  such  images  were  tolerated, 

F  6s 


5: 10  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

serve  them :  for  I  the  Lord  thy  God  am  a  jealous  God, 
visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children, 
and  ^  upon  the  third  and  upon  the  fourth  generation  of 

10.  them  that  hate  me ;  and  shewing  mercy  unto  thou- 
sands of  them  that  love  me  and  keep  my^  command- 
ments. 

11.  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God 
in  vain :  for  the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless  that 
taketh  his  name  ^  in  vain. 

1 2 .  Observe  the  sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy,  as  the  Lord 

13.  thy  God  commanded  thee.       Six  days  shalt  thou 

14.  labour,  and  do  all  thy  work :  but  the  seventh  day  is  a 
sabbath  unto  the  Lord  thy  God:  ^in  it  thou  shalt 
not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter, 
nor^   thy  manservant,   nor  thy  maidservant,   nor^ 

1  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  Vg.  om.  and  (so  Exod.  20 :  5).  «  Heb.  his,  but  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg. 
my  (so  Exod.  20:  6).         '  m./or  vanity  or  falsehood.  *  Heb.  om.,  but  Sam.  Gr. 

Syr.  Vg.  add  in  it.        *  Sam.  Gr.  om.  nor  {attd). 

I  Sam.  15:23;  Judg.  8:27;  2  Kgs.  18:4,  etc.  Jealous  God. 
See  4 :  24.  The  generations  are  bound  together,  and  men  should 
take  care  not  to  bequeath  to  their  children  the  evil  results  of  their 
disobedience.  The  great  preachers,  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel,  had 
to  protest  against  a  fatalistic  use  of  this  fact  of  hereditary  influ- 
ence. The  law  has  two  sides ;  those  who  love  God  send  forth 
healthful  forces  in  many  directions. 

11.  Exactly  as  in  Exod.  20:  7;  the  third  commandment  pro- 
hibits the  use  of  the  name  Yahweh  in  connection  with  any  vanity 
or  false,  unreliable  thing,  as  enchantments  or  other  forms  of 
profanity  and  falsehood  ;  cf .  Ps.  24  :  4. 

12-15.  The  command  to  observe  the  Sabbath  should  be  com- 
pared with  the  somewhat  different  form  in  Exod.  20:  8-1 1.  Its 
position  in  a  summary  of  moral  precepts,  and  the  amount  of  space 
given  to  it,  shows  that  it  was  regarded  as  of  the  greatest  impor- 
tance; cf.  Exod.  31  :  12  ff. 

12.  Exod.  has  "remember  "  for  observe  and  omits  the  formal 
phrase  as  the  Lord  thy  God  commanded  thee.  "Sanctify," 
set  it  apart  from  other  days  and  give  it  a  different  treatment. 

14.  Is  fuller  than  the  corresponding  clause  in  Exod.,  laying 
66 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  5  :  20 

thine  ox,  nor  thine  ass,  nor  any  of  thy  cattle,  nor  thy 
stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates ;  that  thy  manservant 
and  thy  maidservant  may  rest  as  well  as  thou. 

15.  And  thou  shalt  remember  that  thou  wast  a  servant 
in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  the  Lord  thy  God  brought 
thee  out  thence  by  a  mighty  hand  and  by  a  stretched 
out  arm:  therefore  the  Lord  thy  God  commanded 
thee  to  keep  the  sabbath  day. 

16.  Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother,  as  the  Lord  thy 
God  commanded  thee:  that  thy  days  may  be  long, 
and  that  it  may  go  well  with  thee,  upon  the  land  which 
the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee. 

17.  Thou  shalt  do  no  murder. 

1 8 .  Neither  shalt  thou  commit  adultery. 

19.  Neither  shalt  thou  steal. 

20.  Neither  shalt  thou  bear  false  witness  against  thy 
neighbour. 

additional  emphasis  upon  the  humanitarian  thought  that  the 
servants  shall  have  rest  as  well  as  the  master. 

15.  In  Exod.  20:  II  (P)  the  commandment  is  based  upon  the 
rest  of  God  after  the  creation,  Gen.  2  :  2  (P) ;  here,  in  harmony 
with  the  general  character  of  the  book,  the  reason  is  drawn  from 
Israel's  own  history.  It  is  a  memorial  of  the  great  deliverance 
from  Egypt.  The  Sabbath  has  its  roots  in  prehistoric  times, 
but  in  the  Hebrew  documents  we  can  trace  its  growth  in  histori- 
cal association  and  religious  significance;  cf.  Isa.  56 :  2,  6,  7. 

16.  The  phrases,  as  Yahweh  thy  God  commanded  thee  and 
that  it  may  go  well  with  thee,  are  lacking  in  Exod.  The  first 
command  with  promise  (see  Eph.  6:2;  Matt.  15:4):  it  is  the 
promise  which  Deuteronomy  attaches  to  obedience  in  general. 
Whether  the  Israelites  ever  observed  real  ancestor  worship  or 
not,  it  is  clear  that  parents  possessed  great  authority,  and  sin- 
cere reverence  was  demanded  for  them;  cf.  21  :  18-20. 

17-20.  Here  the  commands  are  in  a  brief  simple  form,  which 
was  probably  that  of  the  others  at  an  earlier  date. 

17.  "  Do  no  murder  "  brings  out  the  proper  force  of  the  Hebrew 
word. 

20.  The  Hebrew  word  false  here  is  the  same  that  in  v.  11  is 
67 


5:21 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


21.  Neither  shalt  thou  covet  thy  neighbour's  wife; 
neither  shalt  thou  desire  thy  neighbour's  house,  his 
field,  or  his  manservant,  or  his  maidservant,^  his  ox,  or 
his  ass,  or  any  thing  that  is  thy  neighbour's. 

22.  These  words  the  Lord  spake  unto  all  your  assembly 
in  the  mount  out  of  the  midst  of  the  fire,  of  the  cloud, 
and  of  the  thick  darkness,  with  a  great  voice :  and  he 
added  no  more.    And  he  wrote  them  upon  two  tables 

23.  of  stone,  and  gave  them  unto  me.  And  it  came  to 
pass,  when  ye  heard  the  voice  out  of  the  midst  of  the 

Heb.  12: 18  darkness,^  while  the  mountain  did  burn  with  fire,  that 

ye  came  near  unto  me,  even  all  the  heads  of  your  tribes, 

24.  and  your  elders  ;i  and  ye  said,  Behold,  the  Lord  our 

1  Gr.  Syr.  add  and  (Exod.  20: 17).         '  Gi.  fire. 

rendered  "vanity  or  falsehood  "  (RV  marg.),  while  in  Exod.  we 
have  the  more  concrete  expression  "  lie." 

21.  The  rendering  "  desire  "  brings  out  the  fact  that  here  we 
have  a  different  word  from  that  in  Exod.  "  covet,"  which  expresses 
the  same  thing  in  a  slightly  stronger  form.  Neighbour.  A 
fellow-citizen;  the  question  "  Who  is  my  neighbour?  "  had  not 
been  faced  in  the  large  sense  of  Luke  10 :  29.  The  different  posi- 
tion of  the  word  wife  from  that  in  the  corresponding  command- 
ment in  Exod.  may  mean  a  higher  appreciation  of  the  position  of 
woman  in  the  home  ;  cf.  21  :  10  flf ;  22  :  13  flf.,  etc.  In  the  present 
form  of  the  book  the  Decalogue  seems  to  stand  as  a  parallel  to 
the  Deut.  legislation  or  as  a  brief  statement  which  embodies  the 
spirit  of  the  same. 

22.  Anticipates  9  :  9  flf.  or  is  a  parallel  statement,  cf.  Exod.  31 : 
18.  Only  the  Ten  Commandments  were  given  directly  by  God; 
the  legislation  was  imparted  through  Moses,  but  see  on  vs.  4  and  5. 

23-27.  The  people  desired  that  Moses  should  assume  the  po- 
sition of  mediator. 

23.  Darkness.  The  dark  clouds  of  smoke  covering  the  fire; 
cf.  V.  4.  Even  all  the  heads  of  your  tribes,  etc.  Probably  a 
later  expansion,  as  we  are  told  that  the  people  were  addressed 
directly. 

24.  Here  is  a  great  wonder :  God  has  spoken  directly  with 
them,  and  they  are  alive ;  cf .  4 :  33. 

68 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


5:31 


God  hath  shewed  us  his  glory  and  his  greatness,  and  we 
have  heard  his  voice  out  of  the  midst  of  the  fire :  we 
have  seen  this  day  that  God  doth  speak  with  man,  and 

25.  he  Hveth.  Now  therefore  why  should  we  die?  for 
this  great  fire  will  consume  us:  if  we  hear  the  voice 
of  the  Lord  our  God  any  more,  then  we  shall  die. 

26.  For  who  is  there  of  all  flesh,  that  hath  heard  the  voice 
of  the  living  God  speaking  out  of  the  midst  of  the  fire, 

27.  as  we  have,  and  lived?  Go  thou  near,  and  hear  all 
that  the  Lord  our  God  shall  say :  and  speak  thou  unto 
us  all  that  the  Lord  our  God  shall  speak  unto  thee; 

28.  and  we  will  hear  it,  and  do  it.  And  the  Lord  heard 
the  voice  of  your  words,  when  ye  spake  unto  me ;  and 
the  Lord  said  unto  me,  I  have  heard  the  voice  of  the 
words  of  this  people,  which  they  have  spoken  unto 
thee :  they  have  well  said  all  that  they  have  spoken. 

29.  ^Oh  that  there  were  such  an  heart  in  them,  that  they 
would  fear  me,  and  keep  all  ^  my  commandments  al- 
ways, that  it  might  be  well  with  them,  and  with  their 

30.  children  for  ever !    Go  say  to  them.  Return  ye  to 

31.  your  tents.  But  as  for  thee,  stand  thou  here  by  me, 
and  I  will  speak  unto  thee  all  ^  the  commandment, 

1  m.  OA  that  they  had  such  an  heart  as  this  alway,  to  fear  me,  and  keep  all  my  com- 
mandments,  that,  etc.        2  Sam.  Gr.  om.  all.        '  Gr.  om.  all. 

25-26.  Yet  such  a  strange  and  terrible  experience  is  full  of 
risk ;  frail  mortal  man  cannot  sustain  this  direct  communion  with 
the  living  God. 

27.  They  desire  to  have  the  revelation  in  human  form,  and 
promise  obedience  to  it ;  cf .  Exod.  20 :  19  ff. 

28-31.  Yahweh  grants  the  prayer  of  the  people,  and  thus  the 
position  of  Moses  receives  a  twofold  justification,  the  desire  of 
the  people  and  the  appointment  by  their  God. 

31.  The  commandment.  A  specific  name  for  the  exhortations 
following  (in  that  case  the  phrase,  statutes  and  the  judgements, 
was  added  when  this  exhortation  was  joined  to  the  legislation), 

69 


5:32  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

and  the  statutes,  and^  the  judgements,  which  thou 
shalt  teach  them,  that  they  may  do  them  in  the  land 
which  I  give  them  to  possess  it. 

32.  Ye  shall  observe  to  do  therefore  as  the  Lord  your 
God  hath|commanded  you:  ye  shall  not  turn  aside  to 

33.  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left.  Ye  shall  walk  in  all  the 
way  which  the  Lord  your  God  hath  commanded  you, 
that  ye  may  live,  and  that  it  may  be  well  with  you, 
and  that  ye  may  prolong  your  days  in  the  land 
which  ye  shall  possess. 

D  6.  Now  this  is  the  commandment,  the  statutes,  and  the 
judgements,  which  the  Lord  your  God  commanded  to 
teach  you,  that  ye  might  do  them  in  the  land  whither 
2.  ye  go  over  to  possess  it :  that  thou  mightest  fear  the 
Lord  thy  God,  to  keep  all  his  statutes  and  his  com- 
mandments, which  I  command  thee,^  thou,  and  thy 
son,  and  thy  son's  son,  all  the  days  of  thy  Ufe ;  and 
that  thy  days  may  be  prolonged. 

^  Sam.  om.  and.        *  Sam.  Gr.  add  to-day. 

or  a  general  term  of  which  the  words  statutes  and  judgements 
are  an  expansion. 

32-33.  Perfect  obedience  is  due  from  those  who  possess  such 
a  teacher  and  is  the  condition  of  a  prosperous  life. 

3.   The  Great  Exhortation  ;  6:  i-ii :  32  {except  9:  7b-io:  9) 

Chaps.  6-9  is  a  new  section,  as  is  shown  by  the  new  super- 
scription, 6 :  1-3 ;  the  statutes  and  judgements  do  not  begin 
until  12:1.  The  intervening  space  is  filled  with  a  powerful 
exhortation  similar  in  its  style  and  spirit  to  parts  of  Chap.  4, 
except  that  we  find  in  9:7b-io:ii  another  retrospect.  In 
Chap.  6  we  have  the  beginning  and  one  of  the  most  important 
parts  of  this  noble  appeal. 

Chap.  6.  Yahweh  alone  is  to  be  loved  and  worshipped  by 
the  people  of  Israel,  (a)  1-3,  superscription,  {h)  4-9,  the 
exhortation  to  render  to  Yahweh  alone  a  worship  inspired  by 
sincere  love,     (c)  10-19,  on  no  account   must  the  people   forget 

70 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  6:6 

3 .  Hear  therefore,  O  Israel,  and  observe  to  do  it ;  that  it 
may  be  well  with  thee,  and  that  ye  may  increase  might- 
ily, as  the  Lord,  the  God  of  thy  fathers,  hath  promised  i 
unto  thee,  in  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey. 

4.  Hear,  O  Israel :  ^  the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord  :  ^  Mk.  12 :  29, 

5.  and  thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine  Matt.22:37; 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  might.   Mk.  12 :  30 ; 

6.  And  these  words,  which  I  command  thee  this  day, 

1  Gr.  reads  to  give  unto  thee  a  land,  etc.  *  m.  'the  LORD  our  God,  the  LORD  is 
one.  Or,  the  LORD  is  our  God,  the  LORD  is  one.  Or,  the  LORD  is  our  God,  the  LORD 
alone.    SV  Jehovah  our  God  is  one  Jehovah. 

this  in  the  good  land  which  is  about  to  be  given  to  them. 
(d)  20-25,  they  are  exhorted  to  give  instruction  to  future  gen- 
erations concerning  the  significance  of  the  commandment. 

(a).  The  superscription;  6:  1-3.  Sets  forth,  as  is  often  done 
in  this  book,  long  life  and  prosperity,  as  rewards  of  obedience. 
The  repetitions  may  to  some  extent  be  due  to  later  amplifica- 
tions before  the  text  was  finally  fixed.  The  last  clause,  a  land 
flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  is  very  awkward  in  the  original ;  the 
English  versions  supply  ''in"  the  Greek  "to  give  to  thee,"  a 
phrase  which  may  easily  have  been  overlooked. 

(b)  Exhortation  to  worship  Yahweh  in  love;  vs.  4-9.  One 
of  the  most  important  passages  of  the  book  and  in  the  whole 
realm  of  Hebrew  literature.  While  it  cannot  be  claimed  as  a 
final  declaration  of  absolute  monotheism,  it  looks  steadfastly 
and  moves  energetically  in  that  direction.  "Hear  O  Israel: 
Yahweh  is  our  God,  Yahweh  alone,"  —  this  is  the  translation 
which  does  fullest  justice  to  the  form  of  expression  and  to  the 
context,  the  prominent  thought  being  that  Yahweh  alone  and 
no  other  god  must  receive  the  worship  of  the  Israelites,  and  not 
that  Yahweh  is  One  in  opposition  to  the  many  Baals,  though 
that  thought  is  quite  consonant  with  the  general  teaching  of 
Deuteronomy.  In  v.  5  we  have  one  of  the  highest  points  of 
O.  T.  teaching,  the  demand  for  a  full  surrender  of  the  man 
to  the  service  of  the  One  God ;  and  the  suggestion  that  love  is 
the  fulfilment  of  the  law ;  the  central  truth  often  hidden  under 
later  Jewish  formalism  is  brought  into  new  light  and  larger  life 
by  the  Christian  gospel.  Matt.  22:37;  Mk.  12  :  29  f. ;  Lk.  10 127. 
This  great  central  demand  must  be  made  the  subject  of  medita- 
tion and  teaching. 

6.  These  words,  i.e.  the  command  in  4  and  5,  shall  be  "  im- 

71 


6:7  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

7.  shall  be  upon  thine  heart :  and  thou  shalt  teach  them 
diligently  unto  thy  children,  and  shalt  talk  of  them 
when  thou  sittest  ^  in  thine  house,  ^  and  when  thou  walk- 
est  by  the  way,  and  when  thou  liest  down,  and  when 

8.  thou  risest  up.  And  thou  shalt  bind  them  for  a  sign 
upon  thine  hand,^  and  they  shall  be  for  frontlets  be- 

9.  tween  thine  eyes.  And  thou  shalt  write  them  upon  the 
door  posts  of  thy  house,  and  upon  thy  gates. 

10.  And  it  shall  be,  when  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  bring 
thee  into  the  land  which  he  sware  unto  thy  fathers,  to 
Abraham,  to  Isaac,  and  to  Jacob,  to  give  thee ;  great 

11.  and  goodly  cities,  which  thou  buildedst  not,  and* 
houses  full  of  all  good  things,  which  thou  filledst  not, 
and  *  cisterns  hewn  out,  which  thou  hewedst  not,  vine- 

1  Sam.  Gt.  in  the  house  or  at  home.       »  Sam.  hands.       *  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  om.  and. 

pressed  "  upon  the  minds  of  the  children,  "  pricked  in  "  by  repe- 
tition and  emphasis,  made  a  matter  of  constant  conversation  and 
represented  by  visible  signs.  Cf.  vs.  8,  9  with  Exod.  13:16 
where  the  expressions  are  used  in  a  figurative  sense.  The  word 
rendered  frontlets  is  of  uncertain  origin  and  meaning,  referring 
either  to  a  band  which  encircled  the  head  or  to  tribal  (tattoo) 
marks.  The  Jews  took  these  verses  quite  literally.  The  pas- 
sages, Exod.  13  :  1-16,  Deut.  6:  4-9,  11 :  13-21,  were  written  on 
parchment  rolls  and  placed  in  cases  so  that  they  could  be  bound 
on  the  arm  and  forehead  during  morning  prayer.  These  phy- 
lacteries are  referred  to  in  the  N.  T.  The  Deuteronomic  pas- 
sages were  also  enclosed  in  cylinders  so  that  they  could  be  fixed 
on  the  door-posts  of  houses  or  rooms.  This  "  shSma,"  so  called 
from  the  first  word  of  the  passage.  Hear  (v.  4),  was,  no  doubt, 
according  to  ancient  ideas,  thought  to  possess  magical  virtue, 
and  perhaps  Christians  also  need  to  be  reminded  that  the  texts 
must  be  carried  into  life  and  not  merely  written  on  the  walls. 

(c)  Not  to  forget  Yahweh  in  the  Promised  Land;   vs.  10-19. 

10-15.  Gratitude  to  Yahweh  their  God  for  giving  them  a  rich 
land  is  to  be  shown  by  sternly  resisting  the  temptation  to  go  after 
the  gods  of  their  neighbors ;  thus  will  they  avoid  Yahweh's  anger, 
which  might  easily  be  kindled  for  such  a  serious  offence ;  cf .  8  :  19- 
20;  32:  13-15- 

72 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  6  :  17 

yards  and  olive  trees,  which  thou  plantedst  not,  and 

12.  thou  shalt  eat  and  be  full ;  then  beware  lest  thou  forget 
the  LoRD,^  which  brought  thee  forth  out  of  the  land 

13.  of  Egypt,  out  of  the  house  of  bondage.    Thou  shalt  Matt.  4:10 
fear  the  Lord  thy  God ;  and  him  shalt  thou  serve,  and  ^^-^'-^ 

14.  shalt  swear  by  his  name.  Ye  shall  not  go  after  other 
gods,  of  the  gods  of  the  peoples  which  are  round  about 

15.  you;  for  the  Lord  thy  God  in  the  midst  of  thee  is  a 
jealous  God ;  lest  the  anger  of  the  Lord  thy  God  be 
kindled  against  thee,  and  he  destroy  thee  from  off  the 
face  of  the  earth. 

16.  Ye  shall  not  tempt  the  Lord  your  God,  as  ye  tempted  Matt.  4  ••  7 

17.  him  in  Massah.    Ye  shall  diligently  keep  the  com-  ^^-^-^^ 
mandments  of  the  Lord  your  God,  and  his  testimonies, 

and  his  statutes,  which  he  hath  commanded  thee. 

»  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  add  tky  God. 

10,  II.  Though  they  acquire  the  results  of  Canaanite  cul- 
ture, they  must  not  worship  the  gods  to  whom  the  inhabitants 
ascribed  these  blessings. 

12.  House  of  bondage.    Lit.,  house  of  slaves;  based  on  Exod.  13. 

13,  14.  See  also  5:6;  7:8;  8 :  14,  etc. 

13.  To  Yahweh  they  must  show  piety  (fear),  worship  (serve), 
and  acknowledgment  in  the  most  solemn  transactions  of  social 
life  (swear). 

14.  On  account  of  change  of  number,  may  be  an  explanatory 
addition  to  13.  ^ 

15.  Cf.  4 :  24,  1 :  42  ;  8  :  20. 

16-19.  Israel  must  not  presume  to  put  Yahweh  to  the  test, 
but  rather  render  lowly  obedience,  for  that  is  the  way  to  real 
prosperity. 

16.  They  must  not  in' a  light-hearted  fashion  make  experiments 
as  to  Yahweh's  anger,  as  was  done  at  Massah,  Exod.  17:  2-7. 
Massah.  Proper  name  formed  from  the  Hebrew  root  used  here 
in  the  sense  of  *'to  test." 

17-19.  Amplifies  the  thought  which  receives  so  much  emphasis 
in  the  Deuteronomic  school,  that  obedience  to  the  Law  is  the 
condition  of  receiving  Yahweh's  blessing;  cf.  Exod.  23  :  27. 

73 


6  :  i8  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

i8.  And  thou  shalt  do  that  which  is  right  and  good  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord  :  ^  that  it  may  be  well  with  thee,  and 
that  thou  mayest  go  in  and  possess  the  good  land 

19.  which  the  Lord  sware  unto  thy  fathers,  to  thrust  out 
all  thine  enemies  from  before  thee,  as  the  Lord  hath 
spoken. 

20.  ^  When  thy  son  asketh  thee  in  time  to  come,  saying, 
What  mean  the  testimonies,  and  the  statutes,  and 
the  judgements,  which  the  Lord  our  God  hath  com- 

21.  manded  you?  then  thou  shalt  say  unto  thy  son, 
We  were  Pharaoh's  bondmen  in  Egypt ;  and  the  Lord 

22.  brought  us  out  of  Egypt  with  a  mighty  hand:  and 
the  Lord  shewed  signs  and  wonders,  great  and  sore, 
upon  Egypt,  upon  Pharaoh,  and  upon  all  his  house, 

23.  before  our  eyes :  and  he  brought  us  out  from  thence, 
3  that  he  might  bring  us  in,^  to  give  us  the  land  which 

24.  he  sware  unto  our  fathers.  And  the  Lord  com- 
manded us  to  do  all  these  statutes,  to  fear  the  Lord 
our  God,  for  our  good  always,  that  he  might  preserve 
us  alive,  as  at  this  day. 

25.  And  it  shall  be  righteousness   xmto  us,  if  we  ob- 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr,  add  thy  God.        «  Sam.  Gr.  insert  And  it  shall  be.        »  Gr.  om. 

(d)  20-25.  The  children  of  later  generations  are  to  be  taught 
the  origin  and  significance  of  the  Law,  Exod.  12 :  26  f.,  13  :  14  f. 

20.  "  (And  it  shall  be)  when  in  future  times  the  children  shall 
ask  concerning  the  significance  of  these  ordinances  they  shall 
reply,  Slaves  were  we,  etc.  Us  did  Yahweh  bring  out,  etc.," 
pointing  to  the  great  deliverance  at  the  Exodus  as  the  origin 
of  their  national  life  and  the  birth  of  their  religion. 

24.  All  these  statutes.  Implies  that  the  legal  code,  12-26, 
is  viewed  as  already  present,  although  in  the  form  in  which  the 
book  lies  before  us  it  is  not  yet  formulated. 

25.  Should  probably  read,  "And  it  shall  be  righteousness  unto 
us  before  Yahweh  our  God  if  we  observe  to  do  all  this  command- 
ment," etc.     Cf.  24:13.     Righteousness.     The  word  here  has 

74 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


7:2 


serve  to  do  all  this  commandment  before  the  Lord 
our  God,  as  he  hath  commanded  us. 

7.       When  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  bring  thee  into  the  Acts  13 :  19 
land  whither  thou  goest  to  possess  it,  and  shall  cast 
out^  many  nations  before  thee,  the  Hittite,  and  the 
Girgashite,    and   the   Amorite,   and    the   Canaanite, 
and  the  Perizzite,  and  the  Hivite,   and  the  Jebusite, 

2.  seven  nations  greater  and  mightier  than  thou;  and 
when  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  deliver  them  up  before 
thee,  and  thou  shalt  smite  them;  then  thou  shalt 
2  utterly  destroy  ^  them ;  thou  shalt  make  no  covenant 

1  m.  Heb.  pli*ck  off.        2  m.  Heb.  devote. 

almost  the  force  of  "justification  "  so  that  then  the  people  could 
say:  **Our  God  judges  that  we  have  fulfilled  our  part  of  the 
covenant,  by  obedience  to  the  Law,  and  he  will  on  his  side  vindi- 
cate our  character,  and  show  by  palpable  signs  that  he  is  on  our 
side." 

(e)  Warning  against  Intercourse  with  the  Canaanites ;  Chap.  7. 

This  chapter  continues  the  great  sermon ;  it  warns  the  Israelites 
against  having  any  intercourse  with  the  Canaanites ;  they  must 
rather  place  them  under  the  ban. 

1-5.  This  they  must  do  because  they  are  Yahweh's  servants, 
having  been  redeemed  by  him. 

6-1 1.  If  they  carry  out  this  task  faithfully  they  will  receive 
Yahweh's  blessing. 

12-15.  And  he  will  support  them  in  battle. 

1-5.  To  escape  the  temptation  of  idolatry,  intercourse  with  the 
inhabitants  of  the  land  must  be  avoided. 

1.  Cf.  Josh.  3  :  10;  24:  II,  the  only  other  places  where  seven 
Canaanite  nations  are  mentioned.  In  this  case  it  is  a  grouping 
for  rhetorical  effect;  it  increases  the  impressiveness  of  the  pic- 
ture. 

2.  Utterly  destroy  them.  Heb.  devote  them;  cf.  2:34;  3:6, 
and  especially  the  Deuteronomic  Law  of  the  Ban,  20 :  16-18.  No 
covenant  or  treaty  was  to  be  made  with,  nor  kindness  shown  to, 
alien  peoples.  This  expresses  the  later  ideal  of  religious  purity 
and  separation  rather  than  the  actual  historical  facts  of  the  earliest 
times. 

75 


7:3  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

3.  with  them,  nor  shew  mercy  imto  them :  neither  shalt 
thou  make  marriages  with  them;  thy  daughter  thou 
shalt  not  give  unto  his  son,  nor  his  daughter  shalt 

4.  thou  take  unto  thy  son.  For  he  will  turn  away  thy 
son  from  following  me,  that  they^  may  serve  other 
gods :  so  will  the  anger  of  the  Lord  be  kindled  against 

5.  you,  and  he  will  destroy  thee  quickly.  But  thus  shall 
ye  deal  with  them ;  ye  shall  break  down  their  altars, 
and  dash  in  pieces  their  pillars,^  and  hew  down  their 
Asherim,  and  bum  their  graven  images  with  fire. 

6.  For  thou  art  an  holy  people  unto  the  Lord  thy  God : ' 
the  Lord  thy  (jod  hath  chosen  thee  to  be  ^  a  pecuHar 
people  imto  himself*  above  ^  all  peoples  that  are  upon 

»  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  he.  2  m.  obelisks.  *  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  add  and.  *  SV  a  People 
/or  his  own  possession.        ^  m.  out  oj. 

4.  The  reason  for  avoiding  mixed  marriages.  We  should 
probably  read,  "  he  will  turn  away  thy  son  from  following  Yahweh 
so  that  he  will  serve  other  gods." 

5.  On  these  expressions  see  Chap.  12;  for  the  Deuteronomic 
preacher  these  were  elements  of  the  popular  religion  and  regarded 
as  quite  foreign  to  the  worship  of  Yahweh ;    cf .  Exod.  23:24; 

34:13. 

6-1 1.  Their  worship  belongs  exclusively  to  Yahweh,  their 
Redeemer. 

6.  A  very  important  statement  rich  in  great  religious  ideas. 
Holy.  Specially  set  apart  to  the  worship  of  Yahweh,  keeping 
clear  of  all  ceremonies  which  involve  relation  to  other  gods. 
In  earlier  times  when  faith  received  its  highest  expression  in  the 
words  "  Yahweh,  Israel's  God,"  the  thought  of  election  did  not 
come  so  clearly  into  play,  but  now,  when  the  life  of  Israel  is  placed 
against  the  background  of  the  world's  life,  it  is  made  prominent, 
"  And  thee  hath  Yahweh  thy  God  chosen,"  etc.  In  Isa.  40-55 
it  is  set  forth  in  splendid  style.  Here  it  is  election  to  privilege,  — 
the  election  of  the  nation,  not  yet  of  the  individual,  cf.  Jer.  i ; 
in  Isa.  42 :  1-4,  etc.,  election  to  service.  This  is  regarded  as  tak- 
ing place  at  the  Exodus;  cf.  4:  20  and  Hos.  11:  i.  Peculiar. 
Special,  private,  Eccles.  2:8;  i  Chron.  29:3.  They  are  Yah- 
weh's  special  property,  made  so  by  this  election ;  cf.  14 :  2 ;  26  :  18 ; 
Exod.  19 :  5. 

76 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  7 :  10 

7.  the  face  of  the  earth.  The  Lord  did  not  set  his  love 
upon  you,  nor  choose  you,  because  ye  were  more  in 
number  than  any  people ;  for  ye  were  the  fewest  of  all 

8.  peoples :  but  because  the  Lord  loveth  you,  and  because 
he  would  keep  the  oath  which  he  sware  unto  your 
fathers,  hath  the  Lord  brought  you  out  with  a  mighty 
hand,  and  redeemed  you  out  of  the  house  of  bondage, 

9.  from  the  hand  of  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt.  Know 
therefore  that  the  Lord  thy  God,  he  is  God;  the 
faithful  God,  which  keepeth  covenant  and  mercy 
with  them  that  love  him  and  keep  his  conmiandments 

10.  to  a  thousand  generations;   and  repayeth  them  that 

7,  8.  The  reason  of  this  election  is  given ;  on  the  negative  side, 
it  was  not  on  account  of  their  great  numbers,  for  they  were  one  of 
the  smallest  peoples.  Passages  such  as  10:  22;  26:5,  are  not 
necessarily  contradictions,  but  rhetorical  expressions  on  the  other 
side.  On  the  positive  side,  the  real  cause  was  Yahweh's  love,  not 
elsewhere  expressed  in  the  Pentateuch,  but  which  has  been  pro- 
claimed by  Hosea;  cf.  Jer.  31:3;  Isa.  43:4.  This  love  was 
promised  to  their  fathers  and  showed  itself  in  ransoming  them 
from  Egyptian  slavery,  4 :  20. 

9,  10.  From  their  own  history,  then,  let  them  learn  Yahweh's 
true  character.  This  is  one  of  the  striking  features  of  the  Deu- 
teronomic  exhortation  that  it  lays  such  great  stress  on  the  knowl- 
edge of  Yahweh's  character  which  a  devout  observer  may  draw 
from  the  facts  of  their  own  national  history,  6:  12,  21.  From 
this  source  they  may  learn  that  Yahweh  is  the  true  God,  and  the 
faithful  God  who  keeps  his  covenant  and  carries  out  his  promises. 
In  these  two  verses  we  have  a  paraphrase  and  comment  upon 
Exod.  20 :  6 ;  Deut.  5:10;  it  takes  the  "  thousands  "  to  mean 
thousands  of  generations,  a  rich  rhetorical  suggestion  of  the 
lasting  influence  of  God's  mercy.  With  regard  to  the  punishment 
also  the  emphasis  is  placed  differently  here,  without  denying  the 
abiding  influence  of  the  chastisement  the  present  passage  makes 
prominent  the  thought  that  the  sinner  himself  will  quickly  in  his 
own  person  begin  to  reap  the  reward  of  his  deeds.  Thus  a  clear 
doctrine  of  retribution  is  formulated  which  contains  an  essential 
truth,  but  which  was  capable,  when  hardened  into  a  dogma,  of 
causing  much  trouble,  as  the  discussion  in  the  Book  of  Job  shows. 
On  covenant,  see  4 :  13.     The  word  rendered  mercy  is  an  impor- 

77 


7:  II 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


hate  him  to  their  face,  to  destroy  them :  he  will  not  be 
slack  to  him  that  hateth  him,  he  will  repay  him  to  his 

11.  face.  Thou  shalt  therefore  keep  the  commandment, 
and  ^  the  statutes,  and  the  judgements,  which  I  com- 
mand thee  this  day,  to  do  them. 

12.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  because  ye  hearken  to  these 
judgements,  and  keep,  and  do  them,  that  the  Lord 
thy  God  shall  keep  with  thee  the  covenant  and  the 

13.  mercy  which  he  sware  unto  thy  fathers:  and  he  will 
love  thee,  and  bless  thee,  and  multiply  thee:  he  will 
also  bless  the  fruit  of  thy  body  and  the  fruit  of  thy 
ground,  thy  corn  and  thy  wine  and  thine  oil,  the 
increase  of  thy  kine  and  the  young  of  thy  flock,  in  the 
land  which  he-  sware  unto  thy  fathers  to  give  thee. 

1  Sam.  om.  and.        *  Sam.  Gr.  Yahweh. 

tant  word  in  the  Old  Testament  and  means  kindness  or  loving- 
kindness;  cf.  Gen.  24:  12;   Hos.  6:4,  6. 

12-26.  This  passage  expands  and  illustrates  the  thought  pre- 
sented in  V.  9  ;  the  law  there  laid  down  will  be  seen  at  work  in  their 
national  life ;  if  they  obey  the  commandment,  Yahweh  will  grant 
them  his  blessing  (12-15)  and  will  support  them  in  their  struggle 
with  the  Canaanites  (16-26).  The  whole  passage  should  be 
compared  with  the  conclusion  of  the  "  Book  of  the  Covenant," 
Exod.  23 :  25-33. 

12.  The  covenant  is  a  matter  of  mutual  obligation;  the  two 
parties  to  it  must  each  keep  their  share  of  the  contract.  It  may 
have  sprung  originally  from  the  "  loving-kindness  "  of  their  God, 
but  its  continuance  is  conditioned  by  the  obedience  of  the  people. 

13.  And  following  verses  show  the  form  that  the  blessing  will 
take,  an  increase  of  material  possessions  of  all  kinds,  and  freedom 
from  terrible  diseases  by  which  other  nations  are  afHicted.  The 
fruits  of  the  earth,  which  men  attributed  to  Baal,  come  from  Yah- 
weh in  accordance  with  his  promise  to  their  fathers.  Increase 
of  the  cattle  also  will  come  from  the  same  blessing,  and  the  large 
families  that  are  so  highly  prized  by  those  who  have  to  till  the 
ground  and  face  numerous  enemies  (Exod.  23  :  26;  Ps.  127,  128). 
Young,  or  increase,  of  the  flock  is  represented  in  the  original  by  a 
peculiar  expression,  "  Ashtoreths  of  the  flock,"  which  contains  in 

78 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  7  ;  18 

14.  Thou  shalt  be  blessed  above  all  peoples:  there  shall 
not  be  male  or  female  barren  among  you,  or  among 

15.  your  cattle.  And  the  Lord  will  take  away  from  thee 
all  sickness ;  and  he  will  put  none  of  the  evil  diseases 
of  Egypt,  which  thou  knowest,  upon  thee,  but  will 

16.  lay  them  upon  all  them  that  hate  thee.  And  thou 
shalt  consume  all  the  peoples  which  the  Lord  thy  God 
shall  deliver  unto  thee ;  thine  eye  shall  not  pity  them : 
neither  shalt  thou  serve  their  gods;  for  that  will  be 
a  snare  unto  thee. 

17.  If  thou  shalt  say  in  thine  heart.  These  nations  are 

18.  more  than  I;  how  can  I  dispossess  them?  thou  shalt 
not  be  afraid  of  them :  thou  shalt  well  remember  what 
the  Lord  thy  God  did  unto  Pharaoh,  and  unto  all 

some  form  a  reminiscence  of  a  heathen  goddess  of  fertility;  if 
the  writer  was  conscious  of  this,  he  may  have  used  it  deliberately 
to  claim  all  such  powers  for  the  God  of  Israel.  In  such  things 
they  will  be  blessed  above  all  people,  and  in  their  good  fortune 
will  be  seen  the  superiority  of  their  God. 

15.  The  evil  diseases  of  Egypt,  Various  forms  of  diseases 
which,  on  account  of  climatic  conditions,  affected  specially  the 
skin,  eyes,  and  bowels ;  from  these  dreadful  aflflictions  they  are  to 
be  free,  and  these  very  same  afflictions  will  be  used  as  a  means  of 
punishment  upon  those  who  hate  them;  cf.  Exod.  15  :  26;  Deut. 
28:  27,  35,  60. 

16-24.  Another  form  that  the  blessing  will  take  is  the  gift  of 
courage  and  strength  to  enable  them  to  subdue  their  foes. 

16.  Consume,  lit.  eat,  just  as  elsewhere  the  sword  is  said  to  eat 
or  devour  peoples.  In  Num.  14 :  9,  it  is  said  of  the  people  of  the 
land,  "  they  are  bread  for  us."  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Hebrews 
were  never  in  a  position  to  eat  up  other  nations,  and  in  the  earliest 
days  this  keen  sense  of  a  deep  religious  separation  was  not  pres- 
ent. The  real  weight  of  the  verse  is  in  its  second  half,  the  warn- 
ing against  serving  other  gods,  as  this  impure  worship  is  likely  to 
prove  a  snare  to  them;   cf.  Exod.  23  :  27-33. 

18.  Here  is  a  specific  manner  in  which  the  teaching  of  history  is 
to  be  applied  for  inspiration  and  help  in  the  present.  This  clear 
recognition  of  the  guidance  of  Israel's  God  in  the  realm  of  national 
history  is  one  of  the  prominent  thoughts  of  the  book.     The  great 

79 


7  :  19 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


19.  Egypt ;  the  great  temptations  ^  which  thine  eyes  saw, 
and  2  the  signs,  and  the  wonders,  and  the  mighty 
hand,  and  the  stretched  out  arm,  whereby  the  Lord 
thy  God  brought  thee  out:  so  shall  the  Lord  thy 
God  do  unto  all  the  peoples  of  whom  thou  art  afraid. 

20.  Moreover  the  Lord  thy  God  will  send  the  hornet 
among  them,  until  they  that  are  left,  and  ^  hide  them- 

21.  selves,  perish^  from  before  thee.  Thou  shalt  not  be 
affrighted  at  them :   for  the  Lord  thy  God  is  in  the 

D^  22.  midst  of  thee,  a  great  God  and  a  terrible.  And  the 
Lord  thy  God  will  cast  out  those  nations  before  thee 
by  Uttle  and  little :  thou  mayest  not  consume  them 
at  once*  lest  the  beasts  of  the  field  increase  upon  thee. 

1  m.  trials.  «  Sam.  Gr.  Sjrr.  Tar.  om.  and.  *  m,  hide  themselves  from  thee, 

perish.        *  m.  quickly. 

deliverance  from  Egypt  is  part  of  a  living  tradition  which  is  rich 
in  religious  significance. 

19.  Cf.  4:3,  9.  Temptations,  i.e.  trials  or  provings,  6:16. 
These  wonderful  events  subjected  the  character  and  temper  of 
Pharaoh  to  various  testings. 

20.  Cf.  Exod.  23 :  28.  Their  God  can  use  all  kinds  of  agents 
to  support  them  and  to  do  the  work  thoroughly.  Even  the  hor- 
nets shall  render  service,  penetrating  into  the  hiding-places  of 
the  remnant  of  the  enemy  and  inflicting  damage  upon  them. 
Under  such  circumstances  fear  is  treason  against  their  God. 

22.  This  verse  does  not  agree  very  well  with  the  context  and 
takes  a  different  view  from  that  given  in  9:3.  Here  the  destruc- 
tion is  to  take  place  gradually,  there  "  quickly."  It  is  based  upon 
Exod.  23  :  29-30,  where  we  are  told  that  they  will  not  be  driven 
out  "  in  one  year."  The  verse  is  probably  an  editorial  note  by 
one  who  interpreted  the  promise  in  the  light  of  the  well-known 
fact  that  the  Canaanite  inhabitants  lingered  long  in  the  land. 
The  reason  here  given  for  the  slowness  of  the  destruction  is  that 
the  sudden  depopulation  of  the  country  might  cause  the  increase 
of  wild  beasts;  cf.  2  Kgs.  17  :  25.  This  should  be  compared  with 
the  statement  in  Judg.  2 :  21-23,  where  the  reason  is  that  it  may 
be  proved  whether  Israel  will  keep  the  way  of  Yahweh  to  walk 
therein. 

80 


:a^M^. 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  7  :  26 

23.  But  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  deliver  them  up  before  D 
thee,  and  shall  discomfit  them  with  a  great  discom- 
fiture, until  they  be  destroyed. 

24.  And  he  shall  deliver  their  kings  into  thine  hand,  and 
thou  shalt  make  their  name  to  perish  from  under 
heaven :  there  shall  no  man  be  able  to  stand  before 

25.  thee,  imtil  thou  have  destroyed  them.  The  graven 
images  of  their  gods  shall  ye  burn  with  fire :  thou  shalt 
not  covet  the  silver  or  the  gold  that  is  on  them,  nor 
take  it  imto  thee,  lest  thou  be  snared  therein :  for  it 

26.  is  an  abomination  to  the  Lord  thy  God:  and  thou 
shalt  not  bring  an  abomination  into  thine  house,  and 
become  a  devoted  thing  like  unto  it :  thou  shalt  utterly 


23.  Complete  destruction  of  the  enemy  is  now  promised;  so 
complete  shall  this  be  that  even  their  very  name  shall  be  blotted 
out,  9:  14;  25:  19. 

25-26  form  the  climax  of  this  part  of  the  exhortation;  the  im- 
portant thing  is  that  they  should  keep  themselves  free  from  the 
idolatrous  practices  of  the  Canaanites.  The  core  or  framework 
of  the  image  is  made  of  wood  and  then  covered  with  silver  or 
gold;  cf.  Isa.  30:  22;  40:  19.  Hence  it  could  be  burnt.  The 
precious  metals  thus  used  have  become  defiled  by  their  contact 
with  the  idol  and  by  their  employment  in  the  service  of  a  foreign 
god.  Therefore,  any  one  who  through  greed  takes  them  into  his 
possession  shares  their  defilement  and  brings  upon  himself  the 
severe  judgment  of  Yahweh.  The  story  of  Achan,  Josh.  7,  should 
be  read  as  a  commentary  on  this  prohibition.  To  the  people  of 
those  days  there  was  an  actual  magical  or  demonic  power  in  the 
metal  that  had  been  in  close  contact  with  the  idolatrous  worship ;  it 
belonged  to  a  foreign  sphere,  and  whoever  touched  it  was  rendered 
unclean  and  liable  to  Yahweh's  fierce  anger.  No  language  can 
be  too  strong  to  express  this  fact;  thou  shalt  utterly  detest  it, 
and  thou  shalt  utterly  abhor  it ;  for  it  is  a  devoted  thing ;  these 
words  express  a  powerful  religious  feeling.  An  abomination  to 
Yahweh  tiiy  God.  Used  several  times  in  the  legislative  section  as 
the  ground  of  a  prohibition ;  in  the  Levitical  legislation  it  is  con- 
fined to  sins  of  unchastity.  That  which  is  devoted  or  placed 
under  the  ban  is  either  destroyed  or  cut  off  from  the  life  of  the 
people  by  being  presented  to  the  sanctuary.  The  extent  to  which 
G  81 


8  :  I  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

detest  it,  and  thou  shalt  utterly  abhor  it;  for  it  is  a 
devoted  thing. 
t)»  8.  All  the  commandment  which  I  command  thee  this 
day  shall  ye  observe  to  do,  that  ye  may  Uve,  and 
multiply,  and  go  in  and  possess  the  land  which  the 
D  2.  Lord  sware  unto  your  fathers.  And  thou  shalt 
remember  all  the  way  which  the  Lord  thy  God  hath 
led  thee  Hhese  forty  years  ^  in  the  wilderness,  that 
he  might  humble  thee,  to  prove  thee,  to  know  what 

1  Gr.  om. 

this  "devotion"  was  carried  out,  varied,  as  may  be  seen  by  com- 
paring with  I  Sam  15. 

Chap.  8.  This  chapter  is  one  of  the  most  striking  and  impres- 
sive sections  of  the  Great  Exhortation.  It  contains  three  lines 
of  exhortation,  the  most  important  one  being  the  appeal  to  history 
and  the  powerful  plea  not  to  forget  God  in  the  hour  of  prosperity. 
The  first  verse  contains  the  statement  that  increase  and  prosperity 
will  follow  upon  obedience  to  the  commandment;  a  thought 
which  is  subject  to  much  repetition  in  Deuteronomy,  and  which 
became  the  chief  dogma  of  this  school  of  writers.  The  last  two 
verses  treat  the  other  side  of  the  theme  declaring  that  destruction 
will  come  as  the  punishment  of  apostasy ;  if  the  Israelites  go  after 
foreign  gods,  they  will  meet  the  fate  which  is  now  about  to  come 
upon  the  Canaanite  peoples.  In  the  remaining  thirteen  verses 
the  meaning  of  the  past  history  is  unfolded,  and  the  words  "  Lest 
ye  forget  "  are  filled  with  sacred  significance. 

(/)  Appeal  to  history ;    8  :  1-6. 

I.  A  sort  of  superscription  to  the  chapter  consisting  of  well- 
known  Deuteronomic  forms  of  speech.  See  6:25;  8:8-22; 
15:  S;   19:  9,  etc. 

2-6.  The  forty  years  of  the  wilderness  journey  was  a  time  of 
discipline  appointed  by  their  God  as  a  means  of  revealing  their 
true  religious  condition.  The  legislation  about  to  be  given,  and 
to  which  this  exhortation  forms  the  introduction,  was  promul- 
gated at  the  close  of  the  forty  years  of  wandering,  but  that  does 
not  mean  that  there  was  no  law  before  that  time  by  means  of 
which  their  obedience  could  be  tested.  Men  must  not  put  God 
to  the  proof,  6:16,  but  God  has  a  right  to  test  men  and,  according 
to  the  simple  thought  of  that  time,  it  seems  to  be  implied  that  he 
needs  to  do  so  ;  cf .  v.  16 ;    13:3;   Exod.  16:4. 

82 


Lk.4:4 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  8:7 

was  in  thine  heart,  whether  thou  wouldest  keep  his 

3.  commandments,  or  no.    And  he  humbled  thee,  and 
suffered  thee  to  hunger,  and  fed  thee  with  manna, 

which  thou    knewest    not,   neither  did  thy  fathers  Matt. 4: 4 
know ;  that  he  might  make  thee  know  that  man  doth 
not  live  by  bread  only,  but  by  every  thing  that  pro- 
ceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  doth  man  live. 

4.  Thy  raiment  waxed  not  old  upon  thee,  neither  did 

5.  thy  foot  swell,  these  forty  years.     And  thou  shalt 
consider  in  thine  heart,  that,  as  a  man  chasteneth  his 

6.  son,  so  the  Lord  thy  God  chasteneth    thee.    And 
thou  shalt  keep  the  commandments  of  the  Lord  thy 

7.  God,  to  walk  in  his  ways,  and  to  fear  him.    For  the 


3.  The  hunger  and  the  way  in  which  their  needs  were  met 
should  teach  them  their  complete  dependence  on  Yahweh.  The 
mystery  of  the  manna  is  insisted  upon ;  which  thou  knewest  not, 
neither  did  thy  fathers  know,  the  strongest  possible  way  of  saying 
that  it  was  a  mysterious,  secret  provision.  It  is  something  un- 
common, set  in  opposition  to  the  bread,  the  common  bread  of 
man's  own  providing.  The  contrast  here  is  between  the  ordinary 
blessing  and  the  special  provision  of  the  wonder-working  word. 
In  the  words  of  our  Lord,  Matt.  4 :  4,  the  contrast  is  between  the 
material  and  the  ideal  or  spiritual  bread.  Yahweh,  having  given 
bread  to  men  who  were  in  direst  need,  desires  their  gratitude  and 
trust. 

4.  See  29 :  5.  This  feature  is  not  mentioned  in  the  older  his- 
tory. Some  ancient  Jewish  commentators  treated  this  verse  as  a 
literal  statement  that  the  clothes  of  the  people  grew  upon  them 
like  "  the  shell  of  a  snail  " ;  that  kind  of  interpretation  turns  fine 
suggestive  poetry  into  very  wooden  prose. 

5.  The  word  man  here  is  different  from  the  one  used  in  v.  3 ; 
there  it  is  the  generic  term  for  humanity,  including  men,  women, 
and  children,  bond  and  free ;  here  it  is  the  distinctive  word  for  man ; 
the  man  was  head  of  the  family  or  tribe ;  as  such  a  man  exercises 
discipline  for  the  good  of  the  whole,  so  is  it  with  their  God. 

(g)  Warning  against  forgetting  Yahweh  ;  vs.  7-20. 

7-18.  They  must  guard  against  the  temptation  to  forget  God 
which  will  come  in  the  hour  of  ease  and  prosperity.  Adversity 
has  had  its  danger ;  they  were  prone  to  murmur  against  their  God 

83 


8:8  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

Lord  thy  God  bringeth  thee  into  a  good  land,^  a  land 
of  brooks  of  water,  of  fountains  and  depths,  spring- 

8.  ing  forth  in  valleys  and  hills;  a  land  of  wheat  and 
barley,  and  vines  and  fig  trees  and  pomegranates; 

9.  a  land  of  oil  oUves  ^  and  honey ;  a  land  wherein  thou 
shalt  eat  bread  without  scarceness,  thou  shalt  not 
lack  any  thing  in  it;  a  land  whose  stones  are  iron, 
and  out  of  whose  hills  thou  mayest  dig  brass. 

10.  And  thou  shalt  eat  and  be  full,  and  thou'  shalt  bless 
the  Lord  thy  God  for  the  good  land  which  he  Eath 

11.  given  thee.  Beware  lest  thou  forget  the  Lord  thy 
God,  in  not  keeping  his  commandments,  and  his 
judgements,  and  his  statutes,  which  I  command  thee 

12.  this  day:    lest  when  thou  hast  eaten  and  art  full, 

13.  and  hast  built  goodly  houses,  and  dwelt  therein ;  and 
when  thy  herds  and  thy  flocks  multiply,  and  thy  silver 

»  Sam.  Gr.  add  and  a  large  (Exod.  3:8).        *  SV.  olive  trees. 

and  think  that  his  help  was  often  delayed  too  long,  but  success  and 
luxury  may  prove  to  be  even  a  greater  temptation.  There  is 
peril  in  the  very  beauty  and  goodness  of  the  land. 

7-9.  The  patriotism  as  well  as  the  religious  faith  of  the  teacher 
is  revealed  in  his  eloquent  and  enthusiastic  description  of  the  bless- 
ings of  Canaan.  This  land  is  Yahweh's  gift  to  them ;  its  products 
come  from  him,  not  from  Baal.  It  is  richly  supplied  with  water 
and  brings  forth  all  kinds  of  grain  and  fruit  suitable  for  food  for 
its  inhabitants.  If  the  country  itself  was  not  rich  in  mineral 
wealth,  such  things  were  not  far  away.  In  it  or  in  its  immediate 
neighborhood  there  was  all  that  men  required  to  satisfy  their 
various  physical  and  social  needs. 

10.  Men  should  therefore  "  say  grace  "  at  the  table,  offer 
hearty  thanks,  receive  such  blessings  in  a  spirit  of  worship, 
I  Sam.  9:  13. 

11-18.  Shows  the  folly  of  spiritual  arrogance;  the  wickedness 
of  that  pride  which  leads  them  in  the  hour  of  success  to  forget  the 
Giver  of  all  good  and  ascribe  to  their  own  cleverness  and  cunning 
the  rich  result  of  their  toil.  From  v.  14a  to  the  end  of  16  forms 
a  long  and  somewhat  involved  amplification,  producing  a  kind  of 

84 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


and  thy  gold  is  multiplied,  and  all  that  thou  hast  is 

14.  multiplied ;  then  thine  heart  be  lifted  up,  and  thou 
forget  the  Lord  thy  God,  which  brought  thee  forth 
out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  out  of  the  house  of  bondage ; 

15.  who  led  thee  through  the  great  and  terrible  wilder- 
ness, wherein  were  fiery  serpents  and  scorpions,  and 
thirsty  ground  where  was  no  water ;  who  brought  thee 

16.  forth  water  out  of  the  rock  of  flint ;  who  fed  thee  in 
the  wilderness  with  manna,  which  thy  fathers  knew 
not;  that  he  might  humble  thee,  and  that  he  might 

17.  prove  thee,  to  do  thee  good  at  thy  latter  end:  and 
thou  say  in  thine  heart.  My  power  and  the  might  of 

18.  mine  hand  ^  hath  gotten  me  this  wealth.  But  thou 
shalt  remember  the  Lord  thy  God,  for  it  is  he  that 
giveth  thee  power  to  get  wealth  ;2  that  he  may  estab- 
Ush  his  covenant  which  he  sware  unto  thy  fathers,  as 

19.  at  this  day.  And  it  shall  be,  if  thou  shalt  forget  the 
Lord  thy  God,  and  walk  after  other  gods,  and  serve 
them,  and  worship  them,  I  testify  against  you  this 

1  SV  In  this  and  similar  cases  my  hand.        «  Gr.  inserts  and. 

sentence  not  common  in  Hebrew.  It  would  make  a  good  con- 
nection to  read,  then  thine  heart  be  lifted  up,  and  thou  forget 
Yahweh  thy  God  ...  (v.  17)  and  thou  say  in  thine  heart,  My 
power,  etc.  The  intervening  words  may  have  been  added  by  a 
scribe  from  vs.  2,3  or  may  be  repeated  by  the  author  for  rhetorical 
effect.  The  writer  of  this  chapter  certainly  wished  to  use  aH  the 
forces  of  his  powerful,  persuasive  style  against  this  base  sin  of 
ingratitude. 

14.  Then.  In  the  hour  of  success  comes  the  supreme  tempta- 
tion; the  slavery  of  Egypt,  the  terrors  of  the  wilderness,  the 
perils  and  privations,  all  are  in  danger  of  being  forgotten;  cf. 
Hos.  II :  I ;  Jer.  11 :  2  ff. 

17.  Then  comes  the  secret  self-satisfaction  and  self-congratula- 
tion which  leaves  God  out  of  account,  cf.  Lk.  12  :  19 ;  an  impressive 
thought  suitable  for  all  ages. 

19-20.  If  Israel  after  all  this  care  and  enlightenment  worships 

8S 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


20.  day  that  ye  shall  surely  perish.  As  the  nations 
which  the  Lord  maketh  to  perish  before  you,  so  shall 
ye  perish;  because  ye  would  not  hearken  unto  the 
voice  of  the  Lord  your  God. 
9.  Hear,  O  Israel :  thou  art  to  pass  over  Jordan  this 
day,  to  go  in  to  possess  ^  nations  greater  and  mightier 
than  thyself,  cities  great  and  fenced  up  to  heaven, 

2.  a  people  great  and  tall,  the  sons  of  the  Anakim,  whom 
thou  knowest,  and  of  whom  thou  hast  heard  say.  Who 

3.  can  stand  before  the  sons  of  Anak?  Know  there- 
fore this  day,  that  the  Lord  thy  God  is  he  which  goeth 
over  before  thee  as  a  devouring  fire ;  he  shall  destroy 
them,  and  he  shall  bring  them  down  before  thee: 
so  shalt  thou  drive  them  out,  and  make  them  to  perish 

4.  quickly ,2  as  the  Lord  hath  spoken  unto  thee.   Speak 


SV  dispossess.        *  Gr.  om.  quickly. 


and  serves  false  gods,  then  there  is  no  other  way  of  salvation; 
upon  such  stupid  apostasy  doom  sure  and  final  will  come. 

(h)  Warning  against  self-conceit ;  9 :  i-ya.  The  fourth  divi- 
sion of  this  exhortation  contains  a  warning  against  self-conceit  in 
view  of  the  destruction  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  land.  The 
Israelites  must  not  think  that  it  is  because  of  their  merit  that  the 
Canaanites  will  be  conquered.  The  reason  rather  is  twofold, 
(i)  Those  tribes  have  deserved  destruction  by  their  idolatry  and 
general  wickedness,  and  (2)  Yahweh  gives  the  land  to  Israel  on 
account  of  his  promise  to  the  fathers,  therefore  the  proper  spirit 
will  not  be  pride  in  their  warlike  success,  but  humility  and  fear 
lest  they  come  to  deserve  the  same  fate. 

2.  It  is  well  to  realize  fully  the  greatness  of  the  undertaking; 
their  opponents  are  many  and  mighty.  Who  can  stand  before 
the  sons  of  Anak  ?  either  a  proverbial  form  of  speech  or  a  quota- 
tion from  the  report  of  the  spies ;  see  i :  28. 

3.  The  possibility  and  certainty  of  victory  lies  in  the  fact  that 
their  God  goes  before  them ;  cf .  3 1 :  3.  Devouring  fire.  The  same 
phrase  is  used  in  4  :  24  to  warn  the  Israelites  against  oflFending  the 
"  jealous  God  "  by  image-worship. 

4.  When  the  Canaanites  are  driven  out  by  the  power  of  Israel's 

86 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  9:7 

not  thou  in  thine  heart,  after  that  the  Lord  thy  God 
hath  thrust  them  out  from  before  thee,  saying,  For 
my  righteousness  the  Lord  hath  brought  me  in  to 
possess  this  land :  ^  whereas  for  the  wickedness  of  these 
nations  the  Lord  doth  drive  them  out  from  before 

5.  thee.^  Not  for  thy  righteousness,  or  for  the  up- 
rightness of  thine  heart,  dost  thou  go  in  to  possess 
their  land :  but  for  the  wickedness  of  these  nations  the 
Lord  thy  God  doth  drive  them  out  from  before  thee, 
and  that  he  may  establish  the  word  which  the  Lord^ 
sware  unto  thy  ^  fathers,  to  Abraham,  to  Isaac,  and 

6.  to  Jacob.  Know  therefore,  that  the  Lord  thy  God 
giveth  thee  not  this  good  land  to  possess  it  for  thy 
righteousness;    for    thou   art   a   stiffnecked   people. 

7.  Remember,  forget  thou  not,  how  thou  provokedst  D^ 
the  Lord  thy  God  to  wrath  in  the  wilderness :  from 
the  day  that  thou^  wentest  forth  out  of  the  land  of 

1  Gr.  om.  V.  4b.  "  Sam.  Gr.  om.  the  LORD,  reads  simply  he.  s  Gr.  our. 

*  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  ye. 

God,  it  will  be  a  fatal  mistake  for  them  to  take  the  glory  to  them- 
selves;  Yahweh  has  satisfactory  reason  for  his  action,  but  the 
reason  is  not  in  their  merit  or  goodness.  The  wickedness  of  the 
nations  must  be  punished  and  the  promises  to  the  patriarchs  ful- 
filled. 

7.  If  Israel  will  not  obey  the  exhortation  to  remember  the  past, 
the  facts  of  history  will  show  that  by  their  perverse  rebellious  spirit 
they  have  deserved  punishment  and  not  favor. 

(?)   Historical  retrospect  (related  to  i :  6-3  :  29),  9  :  7b-io  :  9. 

7b-ii.  Here  in  the  middle  of  the  sermon  we  have  a  historical 
review  inserted  mainly  for  the  purpose  of  proving  and  illustrating 
the  charge  made  against  Israel  in  19:6  that  it  is  a  stiffnecked 
people.  This  section  may  have  been  composed  by  an  editor  for 
the  purpose  of  expanding  this  thought,  or  it  may  have  been  trans- 
posed from  some  other  place.  In  substance  and  style  it  resembles 
the  first  portion  of  the  book,  Chaps.  1-3.  It  is  based  upon  the 
earlier  history  of  JE  found  in  Exodus,  often  reproducing  passages 
verbatim  with  the  changes  from  the  third  to  the  first  person. 

87 


9  :  8  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

Egypt,  until  ye  came  unto  this  place,  ye  have  been 
rebellious  against  the  Lord. 

8.  Also  in  Horeb  ye  provoked  the  Lord  to  wrath,  and 
the  Lord  was  angry  with  you  to  have  destroyed  you. 

9.  When  I  was  gone  up  in  to  the  mount  to  receive  the 
tables  of  stone,  even  the  tables  of  the  covenant  which 
the  Lord  made  with  you,  then  I  abode  in  the  mount 
forty  days  and  forty  nights ;  I  did  neither  eat  bread 

10.  nor  drink  water.  And  the  Lord  delivered  unto  me 
the  two  tables  of  stone  written  with  the  finger  of  God ; 
and  on  them  was  written  according  to  all  the  words, 
which  the  Lord  spake  with  ^  you  in  the  mount  out  of 

11.  the  midst  of  the  fire  in  the  day  of  the  assembly.  And 
it  came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  forty  days  and  forty 
nights,  that  the  Lord  gave  me  the  two  tables  of  stone, 

12.  even  the  tables  of  the  covenant.  And  the  Lord  said 
unto  me.  Arise,  get  thee  down  quickly  from  hence; 
for  thy  people  which  thou  hast  brought  forth  out  of 

i  Sam.  Gr.  read  unto. 

7.  All  the  time  of  the  wilderness  journey  until  they  came  to  the 
land  of  Moab  they  had  shown  a  rebellious  spirit. 

8.  Specially  at  Horeb,  when  the  law  was  given,  did  they  provoke 
Yahweh's  fierce  anger.     See  full  account  in  Exod.  32-34. 

9.  The  phrase  tables  of  the  covenant  is  peculiar  to  this  chapter ; 
of.  vs.  II,  15.  On  covenant,  see  4:  13;  cf.  Exod.  24:  12-18.  In 
the  present  text  of  Exodus  the  forty  days  and  forty  nights  is 
mentioned  only  in  34 :  28,  which  relates  to  a  different  and  later 
occasion. 

10.  See  Exod.  31 :  18.  The  day  of  the  assembly.  A  designa- 
tion of  the  day  when  the  Law  was  given,  peculiar  to  Deuteronomy. 

11.  As  this  verse  is  a  repetition  of  v.  10,  the  former  may  pos- 
sibly be  an  addition  composed  of  well-known  phrases. 

12.  This  and  the  following  verses  should  be  compared  carefully 
with  Exod.  32  :  7  ff.,  as  a  specimen  of  the  dependence  of  the  later 
history  upon  the  earlier  documents,  e.g.  "  And  Yahweh  spake 
unto  Moses,   Go,  get  thee  down;    for  thy  people  which  thou 

88 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  9  :  18 

Egypt  have  corrupted  themselves;   they  are  quickly 
turned  aside  out  of  the  way  which  I  commanded 

13.  them;  they  have  made  them  a  molten  image.  Fur- 
thermore the  Lord  spake  unto  me,  saying,  I  have 
seen  this  people,  and,  behold,  it  is  a  stiffnecked  people : 

14.  let  me  alone,  that  I  may  destroy  them,  and  blot  out 
their  name  from  under  heaven:   and  I  will  make  of 

15.  thee  a  nation  mightier  and  greater  than  they.  So  I 
turned  and  came  down  from  the  mount,  and  the 
mount  burned  with  fire:   and  the  two  tables  of  the 

16.  covenant  were  in  my  two  hands.  And  I  looked,  and, 
behold,  ye  had  sinned  against  the  Lord  your  God; 
ye  had  made  you  a  molten  calf :  ye  had  turned  aside 
quickly  out  of  the  way  which  the  Lord  had  com- 

17.  manded  you.  And  I  took  hold  of  the  two  tables,  and 
cast  them  out  of  my  two  hands,  and  brake  them  before 

18.  your  eyes.  And  I  fell  down  before  the  Lord,  as  at 
the  first,  forty  days  and  forty  nights ;  I  did  neither  eat 


broughtest  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  hath  done  corruptly: 
they  are  quickly  turned  aside  out  of  the  way  which  I  commanded 
them ;  they  have  made  them  a  molten  image,  etc."  (See  Introd., 
p.  6.) 

13.  Introduces  that  which  is  the  main  purpose  of  this  section,^ — 
Yahweh's  judgment  upon  the  "  faithless  nation,"  it  is  a  stiff- 
necked  people. 

14.  Yahweh  commands  Moses  to  slacken  his  hold  so  that  he 
may  destroy  the  people,  and  promises  to  make  from  his  one  faith- 
ful servant  a  greater  and  stronger  nation.  Note  that,  at  this 
point,  in  Exod.  32:  10  f.,  Moses  makes  a  powerful  intercessory 
appeal,  giving  reasons  why  the  people  should  be  spared.  "  And 
Yahweh  repented  of  the  evil  which  he  said  he  would  do  unto  his 
people." 

15-17.  Moses  coming  down  from  the  mountain  sees  the  trans- 
gression of  the  people,  and  in  disappointment  and  anger  breaks 
the  tables  of  the  covenant  in  the  presence  of  the  people. 

18-20.  Moses  makes  intercession  for  the  people  and  for  Aaron. 
As  at  the  first,  see  v.  9.     This  stay  in  the  mountain  is  evidently 

89 


9:19 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


bread  nor  drink  water ;  because  of  all  your  sin^  which 
ye  sinned,  in  doing  that  which  was  evil  in  the  sight  of 
Heb.  12: 12  19.  the  Lord,  to  provoke  him  to  anger.  For  I  was  afraid 
of  the  anger  and  hot  displeasure,  wherewith  the  Lord 
was  wroth  against  you  to  destroy  you.    But  the  Lord 

20.  hearkened  unto  me  that  time  also.  And  the  Lord 
was  very  angry  with  Aaron  to  have  destroyed  him: 

21.  and  I  prayed  for  Aaron  also  the  same  time.  And  I 
took  your  sin,  the  calf  which  ye  had  made,  and  burnt 
it  with  fire,  and  stamped  it,  grinding  it  very  small, 
until  it  was  as  fine  as  dust:  and  I  cast  the  dust 
thereof  into  the  brook  that  descended  out  of  the 

22.  mount.  And  at  Taberah,  and  at  Massah,  and  at 
Kibroth-hattaavah,  ye  provoked  the  Lord  to  wrath. 

23.  And  whe^  the  Lord  sent  you  from  Kadesh-barnea, 
saying,  Go  up  and  possess  the  land  which  I  have 
given  you;  then  ye  rebelled  against  the  command- 
ment of  the  Lord  your  God,  and  ye  believed  him  not, 
nor  hearkened  to  his  voice. 

1  Sam.  Gr.  sins  (pi.). 

the  same  as  that  mentioned  in  10 :  10,  and  takes  place  after  the 
event  narrated  in  v.  21.  The  intercession  for  Aaron  is  not 
mentioned  in  the  earlier  history.  Moses,  filled  with  fear  at  the 
consequences  of  this  terrible  apostasy,  pleads  with  God  and  pre- 
vails. As  a  classic  example  of  intercessory  prayer  in  the  Old 
Testament,  see  Gen.  18 :  23  ff.  Other  instances  of  intercession 
by  Moses  are  Num.  11:2;   12  :  13  f. ;    14:  13-20,  etc. 

21.  This  took  place,  of  course,  before  the  intercession  men- 
tioned in  the  previous  verses.  In  Exod.  32 :  20  we  are  told  that 
Moses,  having  strewed  the  powder  upon  the  water,  made  the  people 
drink  of  it ;  the  special  feature  supplied  by  this  verse  is  that  "  the 
brook  descended  out  of  the  mount." 

22.  Other  illustrations  of  their  rebellious  spirit  are  now  sup- 
plied. Taberah,  cf.  Num.  11:  1-3.  Massah,  6:  16;  Exod.  17: 
2-7.    Kibroth-hattaavah,  Num.  11 :  4-35. 

23.  The  statements  of  this  verse  with  its  particular  phraseology 

90 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


24.  Ye  have  been  rebellious  against  the  Lord  from  the 

25.  day  that  I  ^  knew  you.  So  I  fell  down  before  the 
Lord  the  forty  days  and  forty  nights  that  I  fell  down ; 
because  the  Lord  had  said  he  would  destroy  you. 

26.  And  I  prayed  unto  the  Lord,  and  said,  O  Lord  God, 
destroy  not  thy  people  and  thine  inheritance,  which 
thou  hast  redeemed  through  thy  greatness,  which 
thou  hast  brought  forth  out  of  Egypt  with  a  ^  mighty 

27.  hand.  Remember  thy  servants,  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob ;  look  not  unto  the  stubbornness  of  this  people, 

28.  nor  to  their  wickedness,  nor  to  their  sin :  lest  ^  the 
land  whence  thou  broughtest  us  out  say.  Because  the 
Lord  was  not  able  to  bring  them  into  the  land  which 
he  promised  unto  them,  and  because  he  hated  them, 
he  hath  brought  them  out  to  slay  them  in  the  wilder- 

1  Sam.  Gr.  read  he.        *  Sam.  Gr.  thy.        *  Sam.  Gr.  add  the  people  of. 

are  found  in  the  fuller  account  of   Chap,    i;  see  vs.   19,  21, 
26,  32. 

24.  Repeats  in  stronger  form  the  reproach  of  v.  7.  Read  with 
Gr.  and  Sam.,  "from  the  day  that  he  knew  you."  Perhaps  this 
and  the  two  preceding  verses  are  an  editorial  expansion. 

25.  From  this  point  to  the  end  of  the  chapter  we  have  the  inter- 
cession of  Moses  with  the  pleas  advanced  in  their  behalf.  Similar 
to  Exod.  32  :  12  £f.,  this  verse  takes  up  again  the  thread  of  v.  18. 

26.  Moses  says  destroy  not  thy  people,  laying  stress  upon  their 
relationship  to  the  God  of  Israel.  See  v.  12  where,  in  the  an- 
nouncement of  their  sin,  Yahweh  says  to  Moses  "  thy  people  .  .  . 
have  corrupted  themselves."  Yahweh  will  surely  not  allow  all 
that  he  has  done  in  the  past  to  turn  out  fruitless. 

27.  He  will  be  faithful  to  his  own  promise  to  the  patriarchs; 
this  is  regarded  as  a  powerful  plea ;  the  oath  to  the  fathers  is  set 
over  against  the  present  sinfulness  of  the  people.  Let  God  look 
on  the  former  and  turn  away  from  the  latter,  then  he  can  be  merci- 
ful. 

28.  Lest  the  land,  i.e.  the  people  of  the  land,  as  in  Gr.  and  Sam. 
The  honor  of  Israel's  God  is  involved ;  he  must  not  lay  himself 
open  to  slanderous  misinterpretations. 

91 


29 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


29.  ness.  Yet  they  are  thy  people  and  thine  inheritance, 
which  thou  broughtest  out  ^  by  thy  great  power  and 
by  thy  stretched  out  arm. 

10.  At  that  time  the  Lord  said  imto  me,  Hew  thee 
two  tables  of  stone  like  unto  the  first,  and  come  up 
unto  me  into  the  mount,  and  make  thee  an  ark  of 

2.  wood.  And  I  will  write  on  the  tables  the  words  that 
were  on  the  first  tables  which  thou  brakest,  and  thou 

3.  shalt  put  them  in  the  ark.  So  I  made  an  ark  of 
acacia  wood,  and  hewed  two  tables  of  stone  like  unto 
the  first,  and  went  up  into  the  mount,  having  the 

4.  two  tables  in  mine  hand.  And  he  wrote  on  the  tables, 
according  to  the  first  writing,  the  ten  commandments,^ 
which  the  Lord  spake  unto  you  in  the  mount  out  of 
the  midst  of  the  fire  ^in  the  day  of  the  assembly  i^ 

5.  and  the  Lord  gave  them  unto  me.    And  I  turned 

>  Sam.  Gr.  add/rom  Egypt.        *  m.  Heb.  words.        *  Gr.  om. 

29.  Tender  and  pathetic;  after  all  the  weakness  and  failure 
there  is  still  a  living  relationship  between  the  people  and  their 
God ;  the  great  redemption  in  the  past  is  prophetic  of  permanent 
blessing. 

Chap.  lo  :  1-5.  Tells  how  Moses,  according  to  the  divine  com- 
mand, hews  out  two  new  tables  of  stone,  and  makes  an  ark  or 
box  of  acacia  wood  to  place  them  in  when  once  the  writing  has 
been  restored.  Thus  the  prayer  of  their  leader  is  answered,  and 
the  people  are  once  more  set  in  covenant  relation  with  their  God. 
As  usual,  the  history  is  based  upon  JE,  Exod.  34:  i,  2,  4,  but  in 
that  document  as  it  is  now  preserved  there  is  no  mention  of  the 
ark,  though  in  its  original  form  it  may  have  contained  this  state- 
ment. P  has  a  different  account,  Exod.  35  :  30  ff. ;  36  :  2  ;  37:1; 
according  to  these  passages  Bezalel  makes  the  ark  after  the  return 
of  Moses  from  the  mountain.  The  only  point  of  similarity  be- 
tween this  account  and  that  of  P  is  the  material  of  which  the  ark 
is  made,  acacia  wood. 

4.  See  Exod.  34 :  28  ;  compare  also  9  :  10,  and  the  statement  in 
5 :  4,  that  the  ten  words  were  spoken  "  in  the  mount  out  of  the 
midst  of  the  fire." 

92 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


10  :  10 


and  came  down  from  the  mount,  and  put  the  tables 
in  the  ark  which  I  had  made ;   and  there  they  be,  as 

6.  the  Lord  commanded  me.  (And  the  children  of 
Israel  journeyed  from  ^  Beeroth  Bene-jaakan  to 
Moserah :  there  Aaron  died,  and  there  he  was  buried ; 
and  Eleazar  his  son  ministered  in  the  priest's  office  in 

7.  his  stead.  From  thence  they  journeyed  unto  Gudgo- 
dah;    and  from  Gudgodah  to  Jotbathah,   a  land  of 

8.  brooks  of  water.  At  that  time  the  Lord  ^  separated 
the  tribe  of  Levi,  to  bear  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of 
the  Lord,  to  stand  before  the  Lord  to  minister  unto 

9.  him,  and  to  bless  in  his  name,  unto  this  day.  Where- 
fore Levi  hath  no  portion  nor  inheritance  with  his 
brethren;   the  Lord  is  his  inheritance,  according  as 

10.  3  the  Lord  thy  God  3  spake  unto  him.)    And  I  stayed  D* 

»  Or,  the  wells  of  the  children  of  Jaakan.      2  sv  set  apart.       '  Gr.  om.  reads  simply  he. 

6-7,  A  fragment  from  a  list  of  wilderness  stations.  Probably 
an  editorial  note  derived  originally  from  E.  Note  (i)  it  interrupts 
the  speech  of  Moses  which  is  resumed  in  8  or  10.  (2)  It  uses  the 
third  person  instead  of  second,  which  is  usual  in  the  retrospects. 
(3)  It  breaks  the  chronological  sequence,  as  the  death  of  Aaron 
must  have  taken  place  a  considerable  time  after  the  sojourn  at 
Horeb,Num.  20:  8,  10,  22  ff.  (P),  (4)  In  Num.  ^2)  the  names  of 
these  places,  whose  situation  is  unknown,  appear  in  a  slightly 
varied  form,  but  in  a  different  order,  and  Aaron  is  said  to  have  died 
on  Mount  Hor. 

8-9.  The  mention  of  the  ark  leads  to  a  statement  of  the  priestly 
functions  of  the  Levites  connected  therewith  at  that  time,  the  time 
mentioned  in  vs.  1-5  when  the  ark  was  prepared.  In  Deut. 
the  priests  bear  the  ark,  see  31:9;  in  P  this  duty  is  performed 
by  the  Levites  in  a  narrower  sense,  an  inferior  order  of  oflacials. 
Here  the  full  priestly  functions  are  attributed  to  the  whole  tribe 
of  Levi,  to  stand  before  Yahweh  for  the  purpose  of  ministering 
to  him,  18  :  5,  to  bless  in  his  name,  a  priestly  and,  on  some  special 
occasions,  a  kingly  action,  Num.  6 :  23 ;  2  Sam.  6 :  18.  This  is 
their  position  at  the  time  of  the  writer,  and  explains  how  it  is  that 
they  have  no  inheritances,  but  must  live  on  the  gifts  of  the  people. 

93 


10  :  II  the: BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

in  the  mount,  ^as  at  the  first  time,^  forty  days  and 
forty  nights :  and  the  Lord  hearkened  unto  me  that 
II.  time  also;  the  Lord  would  not  destroy  thee.  And 
the  Lord  said  unto  me,  Arise,  take  thy  journey  before 
the  people ;  and  they  shall  go  in  and  possess  the  land, 
which  I  sware  unto  their  fathers  to  give  unto  them. 
D  12.  And  now,  Israel,  what  doth  the  Lord  thy  God 
require  of  thee,  but  to  fear  the  Lord  thy  God,  to  walk 
in  all  his  ways,  and  to  love  him,  and  to  serve  the 
Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  and  with  all  thy  soul, 

13.  to  keep  the  commandments  of  the  Lord^  and  his 
statutes,  which  I  command  thee  this  day  for  thy 

14.  good?  Behold,  unto  the  Lord  thy  God  belongeth 
the  heaven,  and  the  heaven  of  heavens,  the  earth, 
with  all  that  therein  is. 

»  Gr.  om.         «  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  add  thy  God. 

lo-ii.  We  must  either  regard  these  verses  as  a  recapitulation, 
cf.  9 :  18  ff.,  so  as  to  link  the  command  to  break  up  from  Horeb  with 
10:  5,  or  begin  a  new  paragraph  here,  on  the  supposition  that  we 
have  a  different  tradition  from  that  represented  in  9:  16  flf.,  viz. 
that  Moses,  before  he  went  down  from  the  mountain,  undertook 
his  task  of  intercession  and  was  heard ;  cf.  9  :  14;   Ex.  32  :  10. 

ij)  10:  lo-ii :  32.  Final  section  of  the  Great  Exhortation.  In 
this  part  there  is  no  very  clear  consecutive  course  of  thought; 
various  motives  for  loyalty  and  obedience  are  adduced,  and 
thoughts  presented  before  are  made  the  subject  of  persuasive 
repetition.  This  plea  for  faithful  observance  of  the  divine  coqi- 
mands  serves  as  a  transition  to  the  body  of  laws. 

12-22.  An  earnest  appeal  for  love  and  loyalty  towards  One  who 
has  guided  them  so  graciously  in  the  past. 

12.  What  Yahweh  demands  is  the  full  recognition  of  his 
sovereignty  and  a  complete  surrender  to  his  service  in  thought 
and  life.  The  searching  question  contained  in  this  verse  may  be  a 
reminiscence  of  that  noble  passage,  Mic.  6 :  8.  This  comprehen- 
sive demand  for  reverence  and  love  shows  to  what  an  advanced 
stage  Hebrew  religion  had  already  attained.  See  4:  10;  6:5; 
8:6. 

94 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  10 

15.  Only  the  Lord  had  a  delight  in  thy  fathers  to  love 
them,  and  he  chose  their  seed  after  them,  even  you 

16.  above  ^  all  peoples,  as  at  this  day.     Circumcise  there- 
fore the  foreskin  of  your  heart,  and  be  no  more  stiff- 

17.  necked.     For  the  Lord  your  God,  he  is  God  of  gods.  Acts  10: 
and  Lord  of  lords,  the  great  God,^  the  mighty,  and  the 
terrible,   which  regardeth  not  persons,   nor   taketh 

18.  reward.    He  doth  execute  ^the  judgement  of^   the 
fatherless  and  widow,  and  loveth  the  stranger,  in 

19.  giving  him  food  and  raiment.    Love  ye  therefore  the 
stranger :  for  ye  were  strangers  in  the  land  of  Egypt. 

'^m.  out  of.        2  Sam.  Gr.  add  aM</.        ^ 'SW  justice  for. 

15.  A  tremendous  fact  for  them  to  consider  is  that  although 
Yahweh  is  the  supreme  Lord  of  all  the  world,  the  God  of  the  high- 
est heaven  as  well  as  of  earth,  he  has  freely  chosen  this  people  and 
set  them  in  a  special  relationship  to  himself  because  of  the  love 
that  he  bore  to  their  fathers,  7  :  8. 

16.  The  rite  of  circumcision  in  the  literal  sense  is  nowhere 
mentioned  in  Deut.,  but  this  figurative  use  is  found  again, 
30 :  6.  Here  we  see  that  this  book  is  largely  under  the  influence 
of  the  prophetic  teaching  which  tends  to  lower  the  importance  of 
the  merely  external  and  lay  emphasis  on  the  inward,  spiritual 
significance  of  the  Law's  demand.  This  particular  form  of  teach- 
ing receives  its  clearest  expression  in  Jeremiah,  and  even  this  verse 
may  be  dependent  on  him ;  seejer.  4:4;  6:10;  9:26.  In  their 
dealings  with  this  great  God,  one  of  their  supreme  needs  is  a  recep- 
tive heart,  a  teachable  spirit. 

17.  The  sublime  majesty,  terrible  greatness,  and  absolute  justice 
of  God  is  another  reason  for  unswerving  loyalty  and  faithful 
service. 

19.  This  must  not  be  mere  theology;  because  God  cares  for 
the  oppressed  and  friendless,  therefore  they  must  show  the  same 
spirit  of  kindness.  Stranger.  A  better  translation  of  the  Hebrew 
word  {ger)  is  "  sojourner."  As  distinct  from  the  foreigner  who  lives 
in  another  country  and  with  whom  the  Israelite  comes  into  con- 
tact only  in  case  of  war  or  in  commerce,  the  "  sojourner  "  is  a 
man  of  another  tribe  or  district  who  lives  within  the  bounds  of 
Israel  and  is  dependent  for  protection  upon  some  clan  or  patron. 
Commands  in  his  favor  are  found  in  the  early  code,  JE,  Exod.  20 : 

95 


20  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

20.  Thou  shalt  fear  the  Lord  thy  God ;  ^  him  shalt  thou 
serve ;  and  to  him  shalt  thou  cleave,  and  by  his  name 

21.  shalt  thou  swear.     He  is  thy  praise,  and  he  is  thy 
God,  that  hath  done  for  thee  these  great  and  terrible 

DK   22.   things,   which   thine  eyes  have   seen.     Thy  fathers 
•**  went  down  into  Egypt  with  threescore  and  ten  per- 

sons ;  and  now  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  made  thee  as 
the  stars  of  heaven  for  multitude. 
D  11.       Therefore  thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God,  and 
keep  his  charge,  and^  his  statutes,  and  his  judgements, 
2.  and  his  commandments,  alway.    And  know  ye  this 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  Vg.  add  and.        *  Sam.  om.  and. 

10 ;  22:21;  23:9,  12;  and  in  Deut.  kindness  and  justice  are 
repeatedly  demanded  for  him,  1:16;   10 :  19 ;   24 :  14,  17,  etc. 

20.  Repeated  from  6:  13.  By  his  name  shalt  thou  swear. 
On  solemn  occasions  men  swear  by  the  one  whom  they  acknowl- 
edge as  highest  and  most  powerful ;  to  swear  by  other  gods  is  a 
sign  of  infidelity ;  see  Jer.  5:7;    12:16. 

21.  He  is  the  object  of  their  praise  (Jer.  17  :  14)  and  worthy  to 
be  held  in  highest  reverence  because  of  his  great  deeds  manifested 
in  Israel's  marvellous  history. 

22.  A  particular  illustration;  only  a  few  people  went  into 
Egypt,  but  now  in  direct  descent  from  them  there  is  a  great  nation. 
The  number  seventy  is  elsewhere  preserved  only  in  P,  Gen. 
46  :  27;  Exod.  1:5.  The  verse  may  be  an  addition  here;  prob- 
ably the  Deuteronomic  preacher  was  thinking  of  the  miraculous 
deliverance  from  the  power  of  Egypt,  Exod.  14,  rather  than  of 
the  rapid  growth  of  the  nation. 

Chap.  II  brings  the  conclusion  of  the  Great  Exhortation  and 
the  transition  to  the  actual  legislation.  At  the  conclusion  of 
the  previous  chapter  the  writer  has  pointed  to  Yahweh's  miracu- 
lous deeds  as  a  motive  for  obedience ;  he  now  takes  up  and  expands 
this  thought  in  the  first  nine  verses. 

I.  The  phrase  keep  his  charge  is  not  found  elsewhere  in  Deut., 
and  the  whole  verse  may  easily  be  an  editorial  repetition. 

2-7.  Those  who  have  seen  the  discipline  of  their  God,  his 
great  deeds  in  Egypt  and  the  wilderness,  are  called  upon  to  recog- 
nize its  spiritual  significance.  The  writer  of  this  long  sentence, 
which  he  gives  as  it  were  in  one  breath,  seems  to  have  forgotten 

96 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


day :  for  /  speak  not  with  your  children  which  have 
not  known,  and  which  have  not  seen  the  chastise- 
ment^ of  the  Lord  your  God,  his  greatness,  ^his 

3.  mighty  hand,  and  his  stretched  out  arm,  and  his 
signs,  and  his  works,  which  he  did  in  the  midst  of 
Egypt  unto  Pharaoh  the  king  of  Egypt,  and  unto  all 

4.  his  land ;  and  what  he  did  unto  the  army  of  Egypt, 
unto  their  horses,  and  to  their  chariots;  how  he 
made  the  water  of  the  Red  Sea  to  overflow  them  as 
they  pursued  after  you,  and  how  the  Lord  hath  de- 

5.  stroyed  them  unto  this  day;  and  what  he  did  unto 
you  in  the  wilderness,  until  ye  came  unto  this  place ; 

6.  and  what  he  did  unto  Dathan  and  Abiram,  the  sons 
of  Eliab,  the  son  of  Reuben;  how  the  earth  opened 
her  mouth,  and  swallowed  them  up,  and  their  house- 
holds, and  their  tents,  and   every  living  thing  that 

1  m.  instruction.  *  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  add  and 

the  object  to  know  ye  and  the  verb  governing  your  children, 

so  that  we  have  to  supply  with  the  English  versions  the  words, 
I  speak.  This  writer  supposes  the  hearers  of  Moses  to  be  the  first 
generation  of  those  who  took  part  in  the  Exodus ;  see  5  :  3.  Those 
who  have  had  such  an  experience  of  his  power  should  fear  him 
and  obey  his  commands.  This  theme  has  been  beautifully 
worked  out  in  Chap.  8. 

2.  Chastisement,  that  is,  discipline,  not  merely  instruction 
(4 :  36)  nor  chastisement,  but  moral  training.  Prov.  i :  2-8. 
The  context  here  emphasizes  the  severe  side  of  this  discipline; 
the  wonderful  deeds  here  mentioned  illustrate  the  fact  that 
Yahweh  is  *'  the  great  God,  the  mighty,  and  the  terrible,"  10 :  17. 

3.  For  the  signs  and  works,  see  4  :  34 ;  6:22;   7:18. 

4.  Reference  to  the  narrative  in  Exod.  14. 

5.  Compare  with  this  the  noble  statement  of  God's  fatherly 
goodness  and  guidance  in  i :  31 ;  as  well  as  the  charge  of  rebel- 
liousness brought  against  the  people  in  9 :  7  jff. 

6.  A  particular  instance  of  the  severe  punishment  visited  upon 
wilful  transgression  is  here  mentioned.  The  original  narrative  is 
found  in  Num.  16,  but  it  is  composite,  being  made  up  of  JE  and 

H  97 


:  7  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

7.  followed  them,  in  the  midst  of  all  Israel :  but  your 
eyes  have  seen  all  the  great  work  of  the  Lord  which 

8.  he  did.  Therefore  shall  ye  keep  all  the  command- 
ment which  I  command  thee  ^  this  day,  that  ye  may 
be  strong,  and  go  in  and  possess  the  land,  whither  ye 

9.  go  over  to  possess  it ;  and  that  ye  may  prolong  your 
days  upon  the  land,  which  the  Lord  sware  unto  your 
fathers  to  give  unto  them  and  to  their  seed,  a  land 

10.  flowing  with  milk  and  honey.  For  the  land,  whither 
thou  goest  in  to  possess  it,  is  not  as  the  land  of  Egypt, 
from  whence  ye  came  out,  where  thou  sowedst  thy 
seed,  and  wateredst  it  with  thy  foot,  as  a  garden  of 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  you  (pi.). 

P ;  it  is  noteworthy  that  Korah,  who  belongs  to  the  P  document, 
is  not  mentioned  here,  another  striking  evidence  of  the  fact  that 
the  historical  portions  of  Deut.  are  based  upon  the  JE  docu- 
ment alone,  and  show  no  acquaintance  with  P.  In  the  ancient 
time  it  was  considered  quite  natural  that  the  sinner  should 
involve  in  his  fate  all  the  people  and  things  that  belonged  to  him. 

8.  Because  they  themselves  have  seen  such  terrible  examples 
of  divine  wrath  against  sin,  they  should  be  quick  to  obey  the 
commands  of  the  God-sent  teacher,  especially  in  view  of  the 
frequent  reminder  that  the  way  of  obedience  is  the  way  to  present 
success  and  abiding  prosperity. 

10-17.  Another  motive  to  obedience  is  drawn  from  the  fact 
that  Canaan  is  a  land  enjoying  a  great  privilege ;  in  this  respect, 
that,  unlike  Egypt,  it  is  watered  by  the  rain  from  heaven,  a  bless- 
ing the  Lord  can  give  or  withhold  according  to  the  conduct  of  his 
people.  Compare  the  enthusiastic  praise  of  the  good  land  in 
Chap.  8. 

10.  In  Egypt  rain  is  scarce,  the  land  is  dependent  for  its  fruit- 
fulness  on  the  overflowing  of  the  Nile  and  artificial  irrigation; 
the  water  must  be  taken  to  the  land  by  mechanical  means;  in 
Palestine  such  means  were  used  only  in  the  case  of  small  vege- 
table gardens,  I  Kgs.  21 :  2.  Wateredst  it  with  thy  foot.  Refer- 
ring either  to  a  machine  worked  by  the  foot  or  to  the  practice 
of  making  small  ditches  trodden  by  the  foot.  In  the  highly 
favored  land  given  to  the  chosen  people,  the  God  of  Israel  cares 
for  the  watering  of  the  land.     As  it  is  beautifully  expressed  in 

98 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  Ii:i6 

11.  herbs :  but  the  land,  whither  ye  go  over  to  possess  it, 
is  a  land  of  hills  and  valleys,  and  drinketh  water  of  the 

12.  rain  of  heaven:  a  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God 
1  careth  for ;  ^  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  thy  God  are 
always  upon  it,  from  the  beginning  of  the  year  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  year. 

13.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  if  ye  shall  hearken  dili- 
gently unto  my  commandments  which  I  command  you 
this  day,  to  love  the  Lord  your  God,  and  to  serve 

14.  him  with  all  your  heart  and  with  all  your  soul,  that  I  ^  jas.  s:  7 
will  give  the  rain  of  your  land  in  its  season,  the 
former  rain  and  the  latter  rain,  that  thou  mayest 

15.  gather  in  thy  corn,  and  thy  wine,  and  thine  oil.  And 
1 2  will  give  grass  in  thy  fields  for  thy  cattle,  and  thou 

16.  shalt  eat  and  be  full.  Take  heed  to  yourselves,  lest 
your  heart  be  deceived,  and  ye  turn  aside,  and  serve 

1  m.  Heb.  seeketh  after.        *  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  he. 

the  two  following  verses,  the  land  drinketh  water  of  the  rain  of 
heaven.  All  through  the  year  the  eyes  of  the  God  of  Israel 
are  upon  it  in  loving,  watchful  care.  It  has  springs  also,  but  its 
main  supply  of  water  is  direct  from  the  heavens. 

14.  This  supply  of  rain,  so  needful  to  the  fruitfulness  of  the 
land,  is  not  a  gift  from  Baal  and  does  not  come  in  a  mechanical 
way  from  nature ;  it  is  dependent  upon  the  favor  of  their  God, 
and  so  must  be  classed  as  one  of  the  rewards  of  obedience.  The 
former  rain.  The  rains  of  autumn  which  begin  in  October  or 
November,  and  grow  heavier  towards  the  end  of  the  year  and 
continue  through  the  winter.  The  latter  rain.  The  showers  of 
March  and  April  which  refresh  the  spring  crops.  On  the  regu- 
larity of  the  rains  of  autumn  and  spring  the  fruitfulness  of  the 
land  depends,  Jer.  5  :  24;  Joel  2  :  23  ;   Prov.  16  :  15. 

16.  When  God  has  bestowed  these  natural  blessings  upon  them 
in  great  abundance,  the  result  may  be  forgetfulness  showing  itself 
in  arrogance  and  religious  laxity,  6:11;  8 :  1 2  fif.  In  that  case 
one  form  of  punishment  that  may  be  expected  is  that  the  heavens 
will  be  shut  up  and  the  land  will  suffer  from  famine,  2  Sam. 
21:  I  ff.;   Jer.  3:3. 

99 


Ii:i7  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

17.  other  gods,  and  worship  them;  and  the  anger  of  the 
Lord  be  kindled  against  you,  and  he  shut  up  the 
heaven,  that  there  be  no  rain,  and  that  the  land 
yield  not  her  fruit;  and  ye  perish  quickly  from  off 
D^  18.  the  good  land  which  the  Lord  giveth  you.  There- 
fore shall  ye  lay  up  these  my  words  in  your  heart  and 
in  your  soul ;  and  ye  shall  bind  them  for  a  sign  upon 
your  hand,  and  they  shall  be  for  frontlets  between 

19.  your  eyes.  And  ye  shall  teach  them  your  children, 
talking  of  them,  when  thou  sittest  ^in  thine  house,^ 
and  when  thou  walkest  by  the  way,  and  when  thou 
liest  down,  and  when  thou  risest  up. 

20.  And  thou  shalt  write  them  upon  the  door  post  of 

21.  thine  house,  and  upon  thy  gates :  that  your  days  may 
be  multiplied,  and  the  days  of  your  children,  upon 
the  land  which  the  Lord  sware  unto  your  fathers  to 
give  them,  as  the  days  of  the  heavens  above  the  earth. 

D   22.  For  if  ye  shall  diligently  keep  all  this  commandment 
which  I  conamand  you,'^  to  do  it ;  to  love  the  Lord  your 

1  Sam.  Gr.  in  the  house,  i.e.  at  home.        '  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  insert  to-day  (this  day). 

18-21.  These  verses  break  the  connection,  for  v.  22  joins  on 
quite  well  to  v.  17;  further,  except  vs.  21,  they  are  a  repetition 
in  somewhat  different  order  of  the  passage  found  in  6 :  6-9. 
This  was  no  doubt  a  favorite  passage  in  Deuteronomic  circles, 
where  the  importance  of  the  study  and  the  teaching  of  the  Law 
was  clearly  recognized.  The  exact  words  of  the  Law  must  now 
be  carefully  considered  and  diligently  handed  down.  Such  a 
passage  therefore  is  likely  to  appear  with  slight  variation  in  dif- 
ferent places. 

21.  This  characteristic  promise  with  its  reference  to  the  oath 
made  to  the  fathers  does  not  appear  in  the  corresponding  passage. 
As  the  days  of  the  heavens,  etc.,  i.e.  forever.  It  was  not  possible 
to  imagine  a  time  when  the  heavens  would  not  be  resting  upon  the 
earth ;   cf .  Ps.  89  :  29. 

22.  It  is  a  matter  of  mutual  obligation;  on  the  side  of  the 
people,  loving  loyalty,  on  the  side  of  God,  protection  and  blessing. 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


God,  to  walk  in  all  his  ways,  and  to  cleave  unto  him ; 

23.  then  will  the  Lord  drive  out  all  these  nations  from 
before  you,  and  ye  shall  possess  nations  greater  and 

24.  rhightier  than  yourselves.  Every  place  whereon  the 
sole  of  your  foot  shall  tread  shall  be  yours :  from  the 
wilderness,  and  Lebanon  ^  from  the  ^  river,  the  river 
Euphrates,  even  unto  the  hinder^  sea  shall  be  your 

25.  border.  There  shall  no  man  be  able  to  stand  before 
you :  the  Lord  your  God  shall  lay  the  fear  of  you  and 
the  dread  of  you  upon  all  the  land  that  ye  shall  tread 
upon,  as  he  hath  spoken  unto  you. 

26.  Behold,  I  set  before  you  this  day  a  blessing  and 

27.  a  curse;    the  blessing,  if  ye  shall  hearken  unto  the 

28.  commandments  of  the  Lord  your  God,  which  I  com- 
mand you  this  day:  and  the  curse,  if  ye  shall  not 
hearken  unto  the  commandments  of  the  Lord  your 
God,  but  turn  aside  out  of  the  way  which  I  command 
you  this  day,  to  go  after  other  gods,  which  ye  have  not 
known. 

^  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  add  and.        ^JfSam.  Gr.  iaserfgreat.       »  m.  western. 

24-25,  The  great  reward  of  obedience  is  the  complete  posses- 
sion of  this  good  land.  The  ideal  boundaries  of  the  land  are 
sketched.  From  the  Judean  desert  in  the  South  to  Lebanon  in 
the  North,  the  river  Euphrates  in  the  East  to  the  Mediterranean 
Sea  in  the  West.  The  Mediterranean  is  called  the  "hinder  sea," 
34:2;  Zech.  14:8  (RV  Western  Sea),  while  the  Dead  Sea  is 
called  the  "front  sea,"  Ezek.  47 :  18  (AV  and  RV  East  Sea). 

25.  For  the  phraseology,  see  7  :  24 ;  2:25,  and  for  the  promise, 
Exod.  23  :  27.  Victory  over  their  enemies  is  a  sure  sign  of  the 
effective  presence  of  God. 

26-28.  A  brief  statement  of  the  dread  alternative ;  on  the  one 
side  is  obedience  and  blessing,  on  the  other  side  is  apostasy  and 
the  curse.  This  condensed  presentation  of  the  case  anticipates 
Chap.  28,  where  the  subject  is  more  fully  developed. 

28.  Gods  which  ye  have  not  known.  One  of  the  great  thoughts 
of  this  book  is  that  the  God  of  Israel  has  manifested  himself  in 


ii:29  'THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

29.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  the  Lord  thy  God 
shall  bring  thee  into  the  land  whither  thou  goest  to 
possess  it,  that  thou  shalt  set  the  blessing  upon  mount 
D«  30.  Gerizim,  and  the  curse  upon  mount  Ebal.  Are  they 
not  beyond  Jordan,  behind  the  way  of  the  going  down 
of  the  sun,  in  the  land  of  the  Canaanites  which  dwell 
in  the  Arabah,  over  against  Gilgal,  beside  the  oaks  ^ 

1  m.  terebinths;  but  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  read  oak  (sing.). 

the  nation's  history :  his  deeds  of  severity  and  mercy  were  con- 
nected with  their  own  experience,  and  bore  fruit  in  their  national 
life.  To  forsake  this  living  God  for  strange  gods  with  whom 
they  have  had  no  real  saving  intercourse  is  the  height  of  folly. 
29-32.  The  command  to  set  the  blessing  upon  mount  Gerizim, 
and  the  curse  upon  mount  Ebal,  when  they  once  have  entered 
the  land.  In  what  way  the  blessing  and  curse  are  to  be  set  we 
may  see  from  27 :  ii  £F. ;  the  present  statement  may  have  been 
inserted  here  as  a  reference  to  that  place. 

29.  These  two  mountains  are  in  the  centre  of  the  country, 
Gerizim  and  Ebal,  respectively,  being  situated  on  the  south  and 
north  side  of  the  valley  in  which  Shechem  lay  (the  modern  Nab- 
lus),  one  of  the  most  important  cities  of  ancient  Palestine,  thirty 
miles  north  of  Jerusalem.  To  one  looking  eastward  Gerizim 
would  be  on  the  right  side,  the  side  of  good  fortune,  and  so  is 
chosen  for  the  place  of  blessing.  It  has  been  suggested  that 
further  back  there  may  be  a  belief  that  at  Gerizim  the  gentler, 
and  at  Ebal  the  sterner,  side  of  the  divine  nature  was  manifested. 
For  Shechem  as  the  site  of  an  ancient  sanctuary,  cf.  Gen.  12  :  6; 
burial-place  of  Joshua,  Josh.  24 :  32 ;  scene  of  national  gatherings, 
Judg.  9;    I  Kgs.  12. 

30.  This  verse  is  very  difficult  to  explain ;  it  is  probably  a 
gloss  in  whole  or  part;  its  statements  combine  to  form  a  geo- 
graphical puzzle  for  which  no  satisfactory  solution  has  been  found. 
Are  they  not?  For  the  form  of  the  expression  with  the  anti- 
quarian note,  cf.  3  :  11.  The  oaks  (or  terebinths)  of  Moreh  (or 
the  teacher)  are  at  Shechem,  Gen.  12:6;  the  Arabah  and  Gilgal  are 
at  a  considerable  distance  from  this  place.  "  The  Sunset  Road  " 
is  not  mentioned  elsewhere.  Without  emendation  it  seems  im- 
possible to  gain  a  clear  statement.  One  suggestion  is :  "  beyond 
Jordan,  west  of  it,  in  the  direction  of  the  sunset,  in  the  land  of 
the  Canaanites  (who  dwell  in  the  Arabah),  over  against  the  stone 
circle,  at  the  oracle-terebinths." 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  11:32 

31.  of  Moreh  ?    For  ye  are  to  pass  over  Jordan  to  go  in  to  D 
possess  the  land  which  the  Lord  your  God  giveth 

32.  you,  and  ye  shall  possess  it,  and  dwell  therein.  And 
ye  shall  observe  to  do  all  the  statutes  and  the  judge- 
ments which  I  set  before  you  this  day. 

31.  The  Law  is  meant  for  their  guidance  in  the  new  land  to 
which  they  are  going.  Therefore  when  they  come  there,  it  must 
be  solemnly  accepted  and  carried  out  in  all  its  extent.  Thus  a 
transition  is  made  to  the  important  legal  section  which  follows. 


103 


B.  THE  DEUTERONOMIC  LEGISLATION; 

Chaps.  12-26 

12:1  I.  Legislation  dealing  mainly  with  Worship; 

12 :  1-18:  22 

12.  These  are  the  statutes  and  the  judgements,  which  ye 
shall  observe  to  do  in  the  land  which  the  Lord,  the  God 
of  thy  ^  fathers,  hath  given  thee  ^  to  possess  it,  all  the 

»  Gr.  our.        '  Gr.  you  (pi.). 

In  the  section  12-26  we  have  a  body  of  laws  which  now  call 
for  careful  examination  and  brief  explanatory  notes.  This  code 
contains  a  variety  of  materials :  in  some  parts  the  broad  outlines 
of  a  new  national  and  ecclesiastical  constitution  are  sketched ;  in 
others  minor  details  of  social  life  or  personal  conduct  are  dealt 
with.  Although  some  advance  had  been  made  in  that  direction, 
yet  the  art  of  codification  was  not  studied  and  developed  as  it  is 
to-day.  Hence  the  arrangement  of  the  laws  may  seem  to  us  to 
be  somewhat  awkward  or  confused.  This  may  be  partly  ac- 
counted for  by  later  rearrangements  and  additions  and  partly 
by  the  fact  that  people  of  earlier  times  had  a  diflferent  view  of 
the  connections  of  things  from  that  which  we  possess.  For  ex- 
ample, Chaps.  13  and  17:  2-7  deal  with  the  same  subject;  in 
Chap.  12  there  is  considerable  repetition;  compare  also  15  :  21 
with  17:1;  17:6  with  19 :  15 ;  see  note  on  12  :  32.  Some  por- 
tions of  the  section  may  have  existed  before  the  formation  of  the 
whole  code,  and  others  may  have  been  added  later.  For  the  full 
analysis  and  the  statement  of  the  general  relation  to  other  Hebrew 
codes  the  Introduction  should  be  consulted. 

I.  Laws  designed  to  protect  the  purity  of  religious  worship;  Chaps. 
12-13 

Chapter  12  brings  before  us  the  law  of  centralization  or  the 
demand  that  for  Israel  there  shall  be  only  one  legitimate  sanc- 
tuary. This  may  well  be  called  "  The  Fundamental  Law,"  as 
it  is  the  central  point  in  the  Deuteronomic  programme  of  reform ; 

104 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  I2 

2.  days  that  ye  live  upon  the  earth.  Ye  shall  surely 
destroy  all  the  places,  wherein  the  nations  which  ye 
shall  possess  serve  their  gods,  upon  the  high  moun- 
tains, and  upon  the  hills,  and  under  every  green  tree : 

3.  and  ye  shall  break  down  their  altars,  and  dash  in  pieces 
their  pillars,^  and  burn  their  Asherim  with  fire  ^  and  ye 
shall  hew  down  the  graven  images  of  their  gods;^  and 

1  m.  obelisks.        2  Gr.  and  ye  shall  hew  down  their  Asherim   and  ye  shall  burn  the 
graven  images  of  their  Gods  with  fire. 

it  creates  a  revolution  by  its  drastic  treatment  of  the  old  sanc- 
tuaries, and  many  of  the  most  important  provisions  of  this  code, 
such  as  the  distinction  between  sacrifice  and  profane  slaughter, 
the  care  for  the  Levites,  the  provision  of  cities  of  refuge,  and  the 
institution  of  civil  courts  are  made  necessary  by  the  demand  that 
Jerusalem  alone  should  be  the  place  of  worship  and  sacrifice. 
The  earlier  code,  Exod.  20  :  24  f .,  provides  that  simple  altars  of 
earth  or  unhewn  stone  may  be  erected  in  whatever  place  Yahweh 
caused  his  name  to  be  remembered.  The  practice  of  the  pa- 
triarchs recorded  in  JE  is  in  accordance  with  this;  cf.  Gen., 
Chaps.  12,  13,  22,  etc.  In  the  historical  books,  also,  mention  is 
made  of  many  altars,  and  sacrifice  is  not  confined  to  one  place; 
I  Sam.  14:3s;  2  Sam.  15;  i  Kgs.  3:4.  We  know  from  the 
preaching  of  the  prophets  that  the  worship  at  many  of  these  sanc- 
tuaries was  liable  to  contamination  through  heathenish  practices 
and  wild  excesses.  Attempts  had,  no  doubt,  been  made  to  regu- 
late them  before  it  was  determined  to  reform  them  out  of  exist- 
ence.    (See  Introd.  on  pp.  17,  21.) 

I.  This  verse  is  a  superscription  to  the  whole  code.  The 
change  from  plural  to  singular  is  lacking  in  Gr.  and  is  probably 
due  to  a  mistake  in  copying. 

2-7.  First  statement  of  the  Fundamental  Law,  in  plural  form. 
The  Canaanite  places  of  worship  are  to  be  destroyed  and  the 
God  of  Israel  worshipped  at  only  one  place. 

The  Israelites  had  taken  over  these  sanctuaries  which  formerly 
belonged  to  the  original  inhabitants ;  cf.  Hos.  4  :  13.  The  prophet 
suggests  that  they  found  the  shade  of  the  trees  pleasant,  but  these 
places  were  chosen  at  first  for  a  more  primitive  religious  reason, 
viz.,  that  there  was  in  the  trees  a  special  divine  presence  and  that 
the  hill-tops  were  nearer  to  heaven.  Green.  Either  evergreen, 
or  spreading,  luxuriant. 

3.  On  the  pillars  and  Asherim,  see  16:  21.     All  these  places, 

105 


12  :4 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


4.  ye  shall  destroy  their  name  out  of  that  place.    Ye  shall 

5.  not  do  so  unto  the  Lord  your  God.  But  unto  the 
place  which  the  Lord  your  God  shall  choose  out  of  all 
your  tribes  to  put  his  name  there,  even  unto  his  habi- 
tation shall  ye  seek,  and  thither  thou  ^  shalt  come : 

6.  and  thither  ye  shall  bring  your  burnt  offerings,  and 
your  sacrifices,  and  your  tithes,  and  the  heave  offer- 
ing of  your  hand,  and  your  vows,  and  your  freewill 
offerings,  and  the  firstlings  of  your  herd  and  of  your 

7.  flock :  and  there  ye  shall  eat  before  the  Lord  your  God, 

»  Sam.  Gr.  Tar.  Vg.  ye. 

"  the  high  places  "  of  which  we  read  so  much  in  the  Old  Testament, 
are  to  be  so  completely  destroyed  that  even  their  very  name  shall 
be  forgotten.  To  the  Oriental  as  long  as  the  name  lingered  the 
thing  had  some  semblance  of  reality.  Hence  they  tried  to  remove, 
when  possible,  offensive  names  from  their  sacred  writings. 

4.  This  verse  must  evidently  be  linked  to  v.  2,  and  taken  to 
mean,  Ye  shall  not  worship  Yahweh  your  God  after  the  manner  of 
these  Canaanitish  customs. 

5.  The  names  of  the  false  gods  shall  be  rooted  out,  but  Yahweh 
will  cause  his  name  to  dwell  in  the  place  that  he  will  choose; 
in  this  one  place  selected  by  him  his  presence  will  be  manifested 
and  his  character  known;  cf.  Isa.  18  :  7.  Jerusalem  is  often  des- 
ignated as  the  place  chosen  by  the  God  of  Israel ;  i  Kgs.  8  :  44-48. 

6.  Specifies  the  offerings  which  must  be  brought  to  this  central 
sanctuary,  (i)  Burnt  offerings,  which  are  wholly  consumed  on 
the  altar  and  sacrifices  which  are  partly  eaten  by  the  giver. 
(2)  Tithes :  see  on  14:  22  ff.  (3)  Heave  offering,  what  the  hand 
lifts  up  from  the  products  of  the  soil,  as  a  first  fruit  or  other 
offering  to  God,  Num.  15  :  19.  There  is  no  reference  to  the  lifting 
up  of  the  offering  in  worship.  (4)  and  (5).  Vows  and  freewill 
offerings,  special  sacrifices  given  on  account  of  vows  or  from 
spontaneous  feeling.  These  might  take  the  form'of  the  sacrifices 
mentioned  in  (i).  The  firstlings  of  oxen  and  sheep ;  see  on  15  :  19- 
23.  It  has  been  remarked  that  this  list,  which  has  an  air  of  com- 
pleteness, contains  no  reference  to  the  sin-offering  and  guilt- 
offering  which  hold  such  an  important  position  in  the  Priestly 
legislation.  It  is  likely  that  these  acquired  their  significance 
at  a  later  time  when  the  ritual  was  still  more  highly  organized 
and  was  dominated  much  more  by  the  ideas  of  sin  and  penitence. 

106 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


and  ye  shall  rejoice  in  all  that  ye  put  your  hand^  unto, 
and  your  households,  wherein  the  Lord  thy  God  hath 

8.  blessed  thee.    Ye  shall  not  do  after  all  the  things  that 
we  do  here  this  day,  every  man  whatsoever  is  right  in  his 

9.  own  eyes :  for  ye  are  not  as  yet  come  to  the  rest  and  to 
the  inheritance,  which  the  Lord  your  God  giveth  thee.^ 

10.  But  when  ye  go  over  Jordan,  and  dwell  in  the  land 
which  the  Lord  your  God  causeth  you  to  inherit,  and 
he  giveth  you  rest  from  all  your  enemies  round  about, 

11.  so  that  ye  dwell  in  safety;  then  it  shall  come  to  pass 
that  the  place  which  the  Lord  your  God  shall  choose 
to  cause  his  name  to  dwell  there,  thither  shall  ye  bring 
all  that  I  command  you;  your  burnt  offerings,  and 
your  sacrifices,  your  tithes,  and  the  heave  offering  of 
your  hand,  and  all  your  choice  vows  which  ye  vow  unto 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr,  hands  (pi.).        *  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  you  (pi.). 


7.  Here,  while  the  line  is  so  sharply  drawn  against  Baal- wor- 
ship and  impure  customs,  the  sense  of  joyful  gratitude  is  still 
maintained ;  the  worshipper  and  his  family  celebrate  aglad  festi- 
val, eating  in  the  presence  of  their  God,  and  rejoicing  in  the  suc- 
cess of  their  various  enterprises,  16  :  14;    27  :  7. 

8-12.  Second  formulation  of  the  Fundamental  Law  in  plural 
form. 

8.  Speaks  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  wilderness  situation,  a 
time  when  the  people  are  fighting  their  way  into  the  new  home 
and  all  their  conditions  are  restless  and  unsettled.  This  may 
serve  as  an  excuse  for  irregularity  and  capriciousness  in  worship, 
but  when  their  God  has  caused  them  to  have  the  land  in  peaceful 
and  prosperous  possession,  then  this  law  of  centralization  shall  be 
strictly  enforced.  The  Priestly  Legislation,  which  is  also  attributed 
to  Moses,  does  not  show  any  tendency  to  allow  a  lax  standard  for 
the  earlier  days ;  cf.  Amos  5:25;   Judg.  17:6. 

9.  To  the  rest  and  to  the  inheritance.  The  phrase  probably 
contains  a  reference  to  the  time  of  peace  under  Solomon,  after 
David's  successful  battles,  2  Sam.  7:1;  i  Kgs.  5:4;  read  the 
plural  here,  your  God  —  you,  with  Gr.,  Sam,  and  AV. 

II.  See  V.  6.     Yoixr  choice  vows.     That    which  was   given 
107 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


12.  the  Lord  :  and  ye  shall  rejoice  before  the  Lord  your 
God,  ye,  and  your  sons,  and  your  daughters,  and^ 
your  menservants,  and  your  maidservants,  and  the 
Levite  that  is  within  your  gates,  forasmuch  as  he  hath 

13.  no  portion  nor  inheritance  with  you.  Take  heed  to 
thyself  that  thou  offer  not  thy  burnt  offerings  in  every 

14.  place  that  thou  seest :  but  in  the  place  which  the  Lord 
shall  choose  in  one  of  thy  tribes,  there  thou  shalt  offer 
thy  burnt  offerings,  and  there  thou  shalt  do  alji  that  I 
command  thee. 

D»  15.       Notwithstanding  thou  mayest  kill  and  eat  flesh 

within  all  thy  gates,  after  all  the  desire  of  thy  soul, 

according  to  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  thy  God  which  he 

hath  given  thee :  the  unclean  and  the  clean  may  eat 

16.  thereof,  as  of  the  gazelle,  and  as  of  the  hart.    Only 


1  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  om.  atid. 


under  some  special  impulse,  as  a  personal  vow,  was  likely  to  be  of 
superior  quality. 

12.  Once  more  the  joyful  character  of  the  worship  is  made 
prominent  as  well  as  its  family  character.  Here  for  the  first  time 
provision  is  made  to  meet  the  results  of  the  law  of  centralization. 
The  Levites  who  ministered  at  the  local  sanctuaries  will  now, 
by  their  abolition,  be  deprived  of  their  income.  In  this  legisla- 
tion it  is  proposed  to  compensate  them  in  some  measure  for  the 
loss  which  they  suffer  through  the  reformation;  cf.  vs.  18-19; 
i4:28f. ;    26:12;   see  on  18:  1-8. 

13-19.  A  third  statement  of  the  Fundamental  Law  in  the 
singular  number. 

13.  There  were  a  great  number  of  sanctuaries  scattered 
throughout  the  land,  and  many  of  them  were  chosen  because  of 
their  attractive  natural  situation.  See  v.  2.  The  burnt  oflfer- 
ings  alone  are  mentioned  here,  but  all  the  rest  come  under  the  same 
law. 

14.  "  All  that  I  am  commanding  thee."  The  precepts  regard- 
ing sacrifice  contained  in  this  chapter. 

15-16.  Give  the  permission  to  slaughter  animals  for  food  in  a 
secular  fashion,  and  the  prohibition  against  the  eating  of  blood, 
thus  anticipating  the  fuller  statement  in  vs.  20  ff. 

108 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


ye^  shall  not  eat  the  blood ;  thou  shalt  pour  it  out  upon 

17.  the  earth  as  water.  Thou  mayest  not  eat  within  thy 
gates  the  tithe  of  thy  corn,  or  of  thy  wine,  or  of  thine 
oil,  or  the  firstlings  of  thy  herd  or  of  thy  flock,  nor  any 
of  thy  vows  which  thou  vowest,  nor  thy  freewill  offer- 

18.  ings,  nor  the  heave  offering  of  thine  hand:  ^^  but  thou 
shalt  eat  them  before  the  Lord  thy  God  in  the  place 
which  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  choose,  thou,  and  thy 
son,  and  thy  daughter,  and  ^  thy  manservant,  and  thy 
maidservant,  and  the  Levite  ^  that  is  within  thy  gates : 
and  thou  shalt  rejoice  before  the  Lord  thy  God  in  all 

19.  that  thou  puttest  thine  hand  unto.  Take  heed  to 
thyself  that  thou  forsake  not  the  Levite  as  long  as  thou 
livest  upon  ^  thy  land. 

20.  When  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  enlarge  thy  border,  as 

1  Sam.  thou  (sing.).  2  Sam,  Gr.  hands  (pi.).  »  Sam.  Gr.  om.  and.  *Gr. 
stranger  (proselyte).        ^  SV  in. 

16.  Read,  "only  thou  shalt  not  eat,"  etc.  (Sam.). 

17.  As  stated  before  (v.  6),  the  sacrificial  meal  could  only  be 
partaken  of  at  the  central  sanctuary.  It  was  a  joyous  festival 
in  which  the  members  of  the  family  celebrated  their  communion 
with  God  and  each  other  by  eating  part  of  the  sacred  gifts.  ^ 

19.  This  legislation  does  not  seem  to  be  acquainted  with  the 
provision  of  Levitical  cities  mentioned  in  P,  Josh.  21  :  8  f. 

20-25.  The  permission  for  profane  slaughter.  The  Hebrews 
were  not  in  the  habit  of  eating  flesh  regularly ;  it  was  eaten  when 
specially  desired,  at  a  festival,  or  when  a  visitor  was  honored.  In 
the  early  days  slaughter  and  sacrifice  meant  the  same  thing ;  the 
same  word  is  used  for  both.  The  killing  of  sheep  or  oxen  for  food 
was  a  sacrificial  act.  It  was  easy  to  perform  this  act  at  some  local 
sanctuary  or  altar.  But  now  when  the  law  is  formulated  that 
these  sacred  acts  can  be  performed  only  at  the  central  sanctuary, 
it  is  necessary  to  permit  profane  slaughter,  and  define  and  regu- 
late it,  as  it  was  obviously  impossible  to  take  every  animal  to  be 
slaughtered  at  the  distant  sanctuary.  From  the  law  of  the  cen- 
tral sanctuary  there  springs  then  the  ordinance  regulating  the 
killing  of  animals  in  a  secular  fashion. 

20.  When  the  country  is  enlarged  so  that  the  central  altar  is 
109 


12121  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

he  hath  promised  thee,  and  thou  shalt  say,  I  will  eat 
flesh,  because  thy  soul  desireth  to  eat  flesh ;  thou  mayest 

21.  eat  flesh,  after  all  the  desire  of  thy  soul.  If  the  place 
which  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  choose  to  put  his  name 
there  be  too  far  from  thee,  then  thou  shalt  kill  of  thy 
herd  and  of  thy  flock,  which  the  Lord  hath  given  thee, 
as  I  have  commanded  thee,  and  thou  shalt  eat  within  thy 

2 2 .  gates,  after  all  the  desire  of  thy  soul.  Even  as  the  gazelle 
and  as  the  hart  is  eaten,  so  thou  shalt  eat  thereof:  the 

23.  unclean  ^  and  the  clean  shall  eat  thereof  alike.  Only 
be  sure  that  thou  eat  not  the  blood :  for  the  blood  is 
the  Ufe ;  and  thou  shalt  not  eat  the  Ufe  with  the  flesh. 

24.  Thou  shalt  not  eat  it;   thou  shalt  pour  it  out  upon 

25.  the  earth  as  water.  Thou  shalt  not  eat  it;  that  it 
may  go  well  with  thee,  and  with  thy  children  after 
thee,  when  thou  shalt  do  that  which  is  right  in  the  eyes 

26.  of  the  Lord.    Only  thy  holy  things  which  thou  hast, 

1  Sam.  Gr.  add  in  (among)  thee. 

not  easily  accessible,  these  regulations  come  into  force.  Perhaps 
the  second  half  of  the  verse  is  a  gloss  anticipating  v.  21b.  I  will 
eat  flesh,  etc.,  i.e.  at  a  feast  to  entertain  a  guest  or  on  some  other 
special  occasion. 

22.  See  14 :  5.  In  ancient  Israel  the  only  meat  not  eaten  sacri- 
ficially  was  game ;  any  one  not  ceremonially  clean  could  eat  of 
such  meat,  seeing  that  it  had  no  sacrificial  character.  Now  the 
eating  of  sheep  and  oxen,  that  were  used  in  sacrifice,  is  placed  on 
the  same  level. 

23-25.  But  the  prohibition  against  eating  the  blood  is  exceed- 
ingly stringent.  This  is  evidently  quite  ancient,  i  Sam.  14:  32. 
It  rests  upon  the  belief  that  the  soul  or  life  is  situated  in  the  blood. 
The  blood  must  go  back  to  the  mother  earth  who  gave  it.  In 
later  times  the  reason  for  this  abstinence  was  the  part  played  by 
the  blood  in  the  atoning  sacrifice ;  cf.  Lev.  17  :  11.  Such  passages 
as  Ezek.  33  :  25 ;  Lev.  19  :  26  suggest  that  the  eating  of  blood  was 
associated  with  the  heathenish  superstitions.   See  also  Acts  15  :  20. 

26.  Observing  carefully  the  prohibition  just  given,  the  Israelites 
may  slaughter  and  eat  animals  at  their  family  festivals,  but  the 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


and  thy  vows,  thou  shalt  take,  and  go  unto  the  place 

27.  which  the  Lord  shall  choose :  and  thou  shalt  offer  thy 
burnt  offerings,  the  flesh  and  the  blood,  upon  the  altar 
of  the  Lord  thy  God :  and  the  blood  of  thy  sacrifices 
shall  be  poured  out  upon  the  altar  of  the  Lord  thy 

28.  God,  and  thou  shalt  eat  the  flesh.  Observe  and  hear  ^ 
all  these  words  which  I  command  thee,^  that  it  may  go 
well  with  thee,  and  with  thy  children  after  thee  for 
ever,  when  thou  doest  that  which  is  good  and  right  in 
the  eyes  of  the  Lord  thy  God. 

29.  When  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  cut  off  the  nations 
from  before  thee,  whither  thou  goest  in  to  possess 
them,  and  thou  possessest  them,  and  dwellest  in  their 

30.  land ;  take  heed  to  thyself  that  thou  be  not  ensnared 
3  to  follow  them,^  after  that  they  be  destroyed  from  be- 
fore thee ;  and  that  thou  inquire  not  after  their  gods, 
saying.  How  do  these  nations  serve  their  gods  ?  *  even 

31.  so  will  I  do  Hkewise.*    Thou  shalt  not  do  so  unto  the 

1  Sam.  Gr.  add  and  do.  2  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  add  to-day  {this  day).  '  m.  Heb. 

after  them.        *  m.  that  I  also  may  do  likewise. 

actual  sacrificial  offerings  must  be  taken  to  the  one  divinely 
selected  sanctuary. 

27.  This  verse  gives  clearly  the  distinction  between  burnt 
offerings  and  sacrSces;  in  the  former  case  the  whole  offering, 
flesh  and  blood,  is  consumed  upon  the  altar ;  in  the  latter  the  blood 
alone  is  poured  upon  the  altar,  and  the  flesh  is  eaten  by  the  wor- 
shippers. 

28.  The  regular  Deuteronomic  promise  is  appended  also  to  the 
observance  of  these  important  ordinances,  v.  25 ;  6 :  13. 

29-32.  Strong  warnings  against  the  danger  of  being  enticed 
into  heathenish  modes  of  worship.  Introduction  to  the  remainder 
of  this  section. 

29.  See  19:  I.  Such  statements  evidently  reflect  in  a  condi- 
tional form  the  actual  historical  situation  of  the  writer's  time. 

30.  This  temptation  was  present  during  many  centuries  and 
constituted  the  chief  danger  against  which  the  simplicity  and 
purity  of  Hebrew  religion  had  to  contend ;  its  strength  lay  in  the 


12  :  32  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

Lord  thy  God :  for  every  abomination  to  the  Lord, 
which  he  hateth,  have  they  done  unto  their  gods ;  for 
even  their  sons  and  their  daughters  do  they  burn  in  the 
fire  to  their  gods. 

Rev.  22: 8 f.  32.  What  thing  soever  I  command  you/ that  shall  ye  2 
observe  to  do:  thou  shalt  not  add  thereto,  nor  diminish 
from  it. 

Matt.24:24;  13.       If  there  arise  in  the  midst  of  thee  a  prophet,  or  a 

Mk.  13 :  22  IT     IT        f 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  read  thee  and  Sam.  Gr.  add  to-day.        »  Gr.  Sjrr.  Vg.  thou. 

fact  that  the  ancient  peoples  looked  upon  each  country  as  distinct 
and  as  having  its  own  proper  god  and  peculiar  religious  customs, 
which  must  not  be  lightly  set  aside ;  cf .  Ezek.  20:32;  2  Kgs.  17:26. 

31.  See  also  18:  10.  An  important  statement  from  the  point 
of  view  of  the  history  of  religion.  Recent  excavations  have  illus- 
trated the  fact  that  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  Canaan  practised 
human  sacrifice,  and  especially  the  sacrifice  of  children.  The 
Hebrews  believed  that  in  a  special  sense  the  first-born  child  be- 
longed to  Yahweh.  It  is  probable  that  Gen.  22  is  a  protest  against 
this.  In  times  of  great  national  danger  there  was  a  tendency  to 
revert  to  this  extreme  form  of  sacrifice  to  secure  the  help  of  Yah- 
weh or  other  gods,  2  Kgs.  16:3;  Mic.  6:7;  Jer.  7:31;  Ezek. 
16  :  21.  Here  the  practice  is  distinctly  denounced  as  inconsistent 
with  pure  religion  and  hateful  to  Yahweh.  See  Lev.  18:21; 
20 :  2  f . 

32.  In  the  Hebrew  text  this  verse  forms  the  beginning  of  the 
next  chapter,  and  in  that  case  must  be  regarded  as  a  superscrip- 
tion to  the  following  commands.  But  it  should  be  noted  that  the 
passage  now  found  in  16:  21-17:  7,  breaks  the  connection  where 
it  stands,  and  would  suit  exceedingly  well  in  this  place,  where  we 
expect  an  enumeration  of  forbidden  practices.  The  present  verse 
is  of  a  kind  that  was  easily  supplied  by  scribes ;  cf .  4  :  2. 

Chap.  13  :  1-6.  Warning  against  enticement  by  a  false  prophet. 
This  also  is  an  important  passage ;  in  judging  what  may  be  called 
its  "  noble  intolerance  "  it  is  well  to  remember  the  slow,  stern 
battle  against  superstition  and  the  immense  toil  by  which  the 
great  fabric  of  religious  truth  has  been  built  up.  We  should 
be  constantly  looking  for  new  light,  but  we  cannot  always  be 
starting  from  the  beginning.  This  great  truth  that  there  is  one 
supreme  God  and  that  idolatry  is  degrading,  a  truth  revealed  to 
the  great  prophets,  must  be  preserved  at  all  costs.     It  is  too  great 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


dreamer  of  dreams,  and  he  give  thee  a  sign  or  a  wonder, 

2.  and  the  sign  or  the  wonder  come  to  pass,  whereof  he 
spake  unto  thee,  saying,  Let  us  go  after  other  gods, 
which  thou  hast  not  known,  and  let  us  serve  them; 

3.  thou  shalt  not  hearken  unto  the  words  of  that  prophet, 
or  unto  that  dreamer  of  dreams :  for  the  Lord  your 
God  proveth  you,  to  know  whether  ye  love  the  Lord 
your  God  with  all  your  heart  and  with  all  your  soul. 

4.  Ye  shall  walk  after  the  Lord  your  God,  and  fear  him, 
and  keep  his  commandments,  and  obey  his  voice,  and 

5.  ye  shall  serve  him,  and  cleave  unto  him.  And  that 
prophet,  or  that  dreamer  of  dreams,  shall  be  put  to 

to  be  sacrificed  at  the  shrine  of  some  adventurous  enthusiast. 
In  the  East  the  people  have  often  been  misled  by  fanatical  dream- 
ers who  boasted  of  new  revelations.  The  test  of  the  new  revela- 
tion is  that  it  must  not  contradict  the  central  truth  so  strongly 
set  forth  by  the  great  prophets  of  the  past.  Here  we  note  the 
growth  of  an  objective  standard,  an  important  step  in  human 
progress,  but  one  that  has  its  dangers,  as  it  may  sometimes  be 
used  to  crush  noble  originality  as  well  as  base  superstition. 

1.  The  prophet  and  dreamer  of  dreams  are  here  placed  side  by 
side,  as  it  was  recognized  that  dreams  might  be  a  means  of  real 
revelation,  Num.  12:6;  Joel  2:28.  But  in  Jer.  23  we  have 
a  vigorous  polemic  against  the  "  lying  dreams  "  of  the  false 
prophets. 

2.  The  sign  or  the  wonder  (portent).  Note  that  in  Isa.  7  we 
have  a  case  of  a  sign  proffered  by  a  genuine  prophet.  According 
to  the  thought  of  that  time,  the  prediction  might  come  to  pass 
without  any  trickery,  in  our  sense  of  the  word,  as  inferior  gods  or 
demons  were  still  regarded  as  having  some  power;  cf.  18:  21  f. ; 
Matt.  24:  24;   Rev.  13:  13. 

3.  The  real  temptation  was  in  the  fact  that  something  startling 
might  happen  to  bewilder  the  senses  or  deceive  the  mind,  and  Yah- 
weh  permitted  this  to  test  the  genuineness  of  their  faith  and  loy- 
alty;  cf.  6:5,"  Whether  ye  actually  love,"  etc. 

4.  A  fundamental  thought  of  this  book;  cf.  6:  13;  8:2,16; 
10:  12,  20. 

5.  Because  he  has  advocated  rebellion  or  apostasy  and  endeav- 
ored to  lead  the  people  to  show  ingratitude  to  the  God  of  Israel, 
the  stern  penalty  of  death  must  be  inflicted  upon  the  prophet. 

I  113 


13:6  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

death ;  because  he  hath  spoken  rebellion  ^  against  the 
Lord  your  ^  God,  which  brought  you^  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  and  redeemed  thee  out  of  the  house  of  bondage, 
to  draw  thee  aside  out  of  the  way  which  the  Lord  thy 
God  commanded  thee  to  walk  in.  So  shalt  thou  put 
away  the  evil  from  the  midst  of  thee. 

6.  If  thy  brother,"*  the  son  of  thy  mother,  or  thy  son,  or 
thy  daughter,  or  the  wife  of  thy  bosom,  or  thy  friend, 
which  is  as  thine  own  soul,  entice  thee  secretly,  say- 
ing. Let  us  go  and  serve  other  gods,  which  thou  hast 

7.  not  known,  thou,  nor  thy  fathers ;  of  the  gods  of  the 
peoples  which  are  round  about  you,  nigh  unto  thee, 
or  far  off  from  thee,  from  the  one  end  of  the  earth  even 

8.  unto  the  other  end  of  the  earth ;  thou  shalt  not  consent 
unto  him,  nor  hearken  unto  him ;  neither  shall  thine 

»  m.  Heb.  turning  aside.  *  Sam.  Gr.  thy.  '  Sam.  Gr.  thee.  *  Sam.  Gr.  insert 
the  son  of  thy  father  or. 

The  community  is  regarded  as  having  a  sacred  character,  and  for 
its  preservation  the  extermination  of  all  known  evil  is  demanded. 
Here  we  are  far  from  the  intelligent  toleration  that  wars  against 
vice  but  strives  to  preserve  freedom  of  research  and  liberty  of 
opinion.  We  cannot  expect  it  at  this  stage;  here  we  have  one 
great  contribution;  truth  is  of  supreme  importance  and  worth 
fighting  for. 

6-1 1.  The  temptation  to  idolatry  is  to  be  sternly  rejected, 
though  it  come  from  one's  nearest  relative  or  most  trusted  friend. 

6.  Read  with  Gr.  and  Sam.,  "  the  son  of  thy  father  or  the  son  of 
thy  mother."  It  is  stated  as  strongly  as  possible  that  neither 
blood-relationship,  which  is  placed  first,  nor  love  and  friendship 
must  come  into  consideration  where  it  is  a  question  of  faithfulness 
to  the  true  God.  Does  the  omission  of  the  father  and  mother 
mean  that  they  are  fixed  in  the  faith  and  that  it  would  be  folly 
to  suggest  any  possible  failure  on  their  part? 

7.  Written  at  a  time  when  Israel  was  brought  into  contact  with 
distant  peoples  and  was  threatened  with  the  invasion  of  religious 
customs  from  Syria  and  Assyria,  2  Kgs.  16 :  10;    21:3. 

8.  Reflects  the  intense  conviction  and  the  fierce  zeal  of  the  re- 
formers contending  against  the  dangers  of  idolatry.    "  Thou  shalt 

114 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


eye  pity  him,  neither  shalt  thou  spare,  neither  shalt 

9.   thou  conceal  him:   but  thou  shalt  surely  kill  him; 

thine  hand  shall  be  firsu  upon  him  to  put  him  to  death, 

10.  and  afterwards  the  hand  of  all  the  people.  And  thou 
shalt  stone  him  with  stones,  that  he  die ;  because  he 
hath  sought  to  draw  thee  away  from  the  Lord  thy 
God,  which  brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of  Eg)rpt,  out 

11.  of  the  house  of  bondage.  And  all  Israel  shall  hear,  and 
fear,  and  shall  do  no  more  any  such  wickedness  as  this 
is  in  the  midst  of  thee. 

12.  If  thou  shalt  hear  tell  concerning  ^  one  of  thy  cities, 
which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee  to  dwell  there, 

13.  saying,  Certain  ^base  fellows  ^  are  gone  out  from  the 
midst  of  thee,  and  have  drawn  away  the  inhabitants  of 
their  city,  saying.  Let  us  go  and  serve  other  gods,  which 

^  m.  in.       2  m.  Heb.  sons  of  worthlessness. 

not  cast  a  covering  over  his  secret  wickedness."     It  is  not  simply 
open  idolatry  that  is  to  be  pursued  with  such  inflexible  severity. 

9.  Of  course,  some  kind  of  judicial  procedure  is  implied,  but  not 
made  prominent  here.  See  17:5  f .  But  thou  shalt  surely  kill 
him ;  for  this  Gr,  has  "  Thou  shalt  surely  report  concerning  him." 

10.  The  offender  is  not  only  killed  by  stoning,  but  it  is  also  in- 
tended that  the  body  should  be  buried  under  a  heap  of  heavy 
stones,  so  that  the  spirit  may  be  confined  and  kept  from  causing 
trouble  to  the  living. 

11.  It  is  expected  that  swift,  stern  punishment  will  strike  terror 
into  the  hearts  of  the  people  and  cause  them  to  respect  the  Law, 
17:  13;  19:  20. 

12-18.  A  city  that  is  led  into  idolatry  shall  be  completely  de- 
stroyed, 

13.  In  this  city  certain  of  its  members  have  gone  out  publicly 
and  advocated  the  service  of  strange  gods,  gods  that  have  had 
no  living  relationship  with  the  nation.  These  men  are  called 
base  fellows;  this  phrase  is  in  the  AV  translated  by  sons  or 
**  children  of  Belial,"  an  incorrect  rendering,  as  the  word  Belial 
is  not  a  proper  name ;  it  occurs  in  the  Pentateuch  only  here  and 
15:9,  though  frequently  elsewhere  in  the  Old  Testament.  Com- 
pare 2  Cor.  6:  15. 

"5 


13:14  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

14.  ye  have  not  known ;  then  shalt  thou  inquire,  and  make 
search,  and  ask  diligently ;  and,  behold,  if  it  be  truth, 
and  the  thing  certain,  that  such  abomination  is  wrought 

1$.  in  the  midst  of  thee;  thou  shalt  surely  smite  the  in- 
habitants of  that  city  with  the  edge  of  the  sword, 
destroying  it  utterly,^  and  all  that  is  therein  ^and 

16.  the  cattle  thereof,  with  the  edge  of  the  sword.  ^  And 
thou  shalt  gather  all  the  spoil  of  it  into  the  midst  of  the 
street  thereof,  and  shalt  burn  with  fire  the  city,  and 
all  the  spoil  thereof  every  whit,^  unto  the  Lord  thy 
God :  and  it  shall  be  an  heap^  for  ever ;  it  shall  not  be 

17.  built  again.  And  there  shall  cleave  nought  of  the 
devoted  thing  to  thine  hand :  that  the  Lord  may  turn 
from  the  fierceness  of  his  anger,  and  shew  thee  mercy, 
and  have  compassion  upon  thee,  and  multiply  thee, 

18.  as  he  hath  sworn  unto  thy  fathers;  when  thou  shalt 

*  m.  Heb.  devoting  it.  *  Gr.  om.  *m.asa  whole  burnt  ofering.  *  m.  mound, 
Heb.  tel. 

14.  Perhaps  added  here  from  17:4. 

15.  The  city  is  to  be  treated  as  if  it  were  an  enemy's  city  taken 
in  war ;  it  has  to  be  devoted,  or  placed  under  the  ban ;  see  7 :  2. 
The  "  devotion  "  here  demanded  is  of  the  severest  kind,  involving 
the  destruction  of  the  inhabitants  and  all  their  possessions.  Cf. 
Josh.  6  and  7  ;  i  Sam.  15:3.  And  the  cattle  thereof ,  with  the  edge 
of  the  sword  —  lacking  in  Gr.,  probably  a  scribal  addition. 

16.  The  city  is  to  be  treated  as  a  plague  spot;  the  life  of  indi- 
viduals and  the  preciousness  of  things  are  to  be  disregarded ;  all  are 
infected  with  the  dread  disease  and  must  be  ruthlessly  cut  off 
from  the  life  of  the  nation.  Every  whit.  The  original  word  is  an 
old  term  for  "  burnt-offering,"  an  offering  which  was  given  com- 
pletely to  Yahweh.  It  is  a  sacred  execution ;  all  the  spoil  is 
gathered  in  the  broad,  open  place  to  be  burned ;  all  that  is  left  of 
the  city  is  a  heap  of  stones,  a  memorial  of  its  wickedness  and  a 
warning  to  others. 

17.  By  the  thoroughgoing  nature  of  this  punishment  the  anger 
of  Yahweh  may  be  appeased ;  if  loss  has  been  suffered  on  account 
of  this  holy  zeal,  the  renewal  of  blessing  will  bring  compensation. 

116 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


hearken  to  the  voice  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  to  keep  all  his 
commandments  which  I  command  thee  this  day,  to  do 
that  which  is  right  ^  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  thy  God. 

14.  Ye  are  the  children  of  the  Lord  your  God :  ye  shall  Tit.  2 ; 
not  cut  yourselves,  nor  make  any  baldness  between 
2.  your  eyes  for  the  dead.  For  thou  art  an  holy  people 
unto  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  the  Lord'^  hath  chosen 
thee  to  be  ^  a  pecuUar  people  imto  himself,  above  "^  all 
peoples  that  are  upon  the  face  of  the  earth. 

3,4.     Thou  ^  shalt  not  eat  any  abominable  thing.    These 

1  Sara.  Gr.  add  and  good.  *  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  add  thy  God.         «  SV  a  people 

for  his  own  possession.        *  m.  aid  of.        *  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  ye  (pi.). 

2.  Ordinances  for  the  Preservation  of  Ceremonial  Purity;  14:  1-21 

14:1-2.  Prohibition  of  heathen  mourning  customs.  This 
short  passage  is  probably  of  later  origin  than  the  kernel  of  the 
book.  Note  the  individualistic  tone  of  the  phrase  Ye  are  children 
of  Yahweh  your  God;  and  the  following  points:  (i)  There  is 
no  reference  to  this  subject  in  JE  ;  the  parallel  is  found  in  Lev.  19 : 
27-28  (H) ;  21:5  (H).  (2)  These  customs  are  mentioned,  with- 
out blame,  in  Jer.  16:6;  41:5;  Ezek.  7:  18;  passages  which 
belong  to  a  time  later  than  the  original  Deut.  (3)  In  their 
earliest  forms  these  customs  may  have  been  connected  with  the 
worship  of  the  dead  or  of  spirits  that  were  supposed  to  dwell 
in  particular  localities.  At  the  time  this  passage  was  written 
the  writer  may  not  have  been  fully  conscious  of  that  fact,  but  he 
saw  clearly  that  the  associations  of  such  things  were  with  the  super- 
stitions of  surrounding  tribes  rather  than  with  the  nobler  elements 
of  the  Hebrew  religion.  A  man  can  belong  to  one  religious  circle 
only ;  he  who  is  consecrated  to  Yahweh  must  come  out  from  the 
sphere  of  another  god. 

1.  Compare  Exod.  4:22  f.  (JE) ;  Hos.  11:  i;  Isa.  1:2-4, 
where  the  sonship  is  national.  The  priests  of  Baal  cut  themselves 
to  make  a  favorable  impression  on  their  god,  i  Kgs.  18:28. 
For  baldness  as  a  sign  of  mourning,  see  Amos  8 :  10;  Isa.  3  :  24. 

2.  Repeated  from  7:6;  the  special  relation  of  the  nation  to 
Yahweh  demands  complete  consecration.  The  Israelites  must 
not  defile  themselves  by  eating  forbidden  food. 

3-20.  There  are  no  regulations  of  this  kind  in  JE ;  the  parallel 
is  found  in  Lev.  11. 

"7 


14:5  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

are  the  beasts  which  ye  shall  eat :  the  ox/  the  sheep, 

5.  and  the  goat,  the  hart,  and  the  gazelle,  and  the  roe- 
buck, and  the  wild  goat,  and  the  pygarg,  and  the  ante- 

6.  lope,  and  the  chamois.  And  every  beast  that  parteth 
the  hoof,  and  hath  the  hoof  cloven  in  two,  and  ^  cheweth  ^ 

7.  the  cud,  among  the  beasts,  that  ye  shall  eat.  Never- 
theless these  ye  shall  not  eat  of  them  that  chew  the 
cud,  or  of  them  that  have  the  hoof  cloven :  the  camel, 
and  the  hare,  and  the  coney,  because  they  chew  the 
cud  but  part  not  the  hoof,  they  are  unclean  unto  you: 

8.  and  the  swine,  because  he  parteth  the  hoof^  but 
cheweth  not  the  cud,  he  is  unclean  unto  you:  of 
their  flesh  ye  shall  not  eat,  and  their  carcases  ye  shall 
not  touch. 

9.  ^  These  ye  shall  eat  of  all  that  are  in  the  waters : 
10.  whatsoever  hath  fins  and  scales  shall  ye  eat:    and 

*  Sam.  Gr.  S3rr.  Vg.  add  and.  *  Gr.  Sjrr.  Vg.  read  and,  not  in  Heb.  '  m.  Heb. 
bringeth  up.  *  Sam.  Gr.  add  and  is  cloven  footed  (so  Lev.  11:7).  •  Sam.  Gr.  add 
and. 

3-8.  Land  animals  divided  into  dean  and  unclean.  There  is 
nothing  in  Lev.  corresponding  to  vs.  4b-5  ;  there  the  clean  animals 
are  merely  defined,  here  they  are  illustrated  as  well ;  among  clean 
animals,  the  ox,  the  sheep,  and  the  goat  are  most  common ;  the 
hart  and  the  gazelle  are  named  as  specimens  of  game,  12  :  15-22 ; 
15  :  22.  The  roebuck  also  is  mentioned  in  the  same  class,  i  Kgs. 
4 :  23  ;   the  other  names  occur  only  here. 

5.  Pygarg.  This  name  is  simply  transliterated  from  the  Greek, 
probably  the  addax,  a  species  of  antelope.  Chamois,  "  moun- 
tain-sheep," seems  more  suitable. 

6.  Ruminating  animals  which  part  the  hoof  may  be  eaten 
except  those  named  in  the  following  verse. 

7.  The  coney.  The  old  English  word  for  rabbit  is  not  unsuitable, 
as  the  animal  meant  was  in  many  respects  like  a  rabbit.  "  Rock- 
badger  "  is  the  name  adopted,  from  the  German,  by  scholars. 

9-10.  Water  animals.  Lev.  11 :  9-12  has  the  same  in  a  more 
diffuse  form. 

10.  Such  fish,  e.g.  eels,  resembled  the  serpent  tribe. 
118 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


14 


whatsoever  hath  not  fins  and  scales  ye  shall  not  eat ; 
it  is  unclean  unto  you. 
11,12.    Of  all  clean  birds  ye  may  eat.    But  these  are  they 
of  which  ye  shall  not  eat:    the  eagle,  and  the  gier 

13.  eagle,  and  the  ospray ;  ^  and  the  glede,^  and  the  falcon, 

14.  and  the  kite  after  its  kind;  and  every  raven  after 

15.  its  kind;   and  the  ostrich,  and  the  night  hawk,  and 

16.  the  seamew,  and  the  hawk  after  its  kind ;  the  Uttle  owl, 

17.  and  the  great  owl,  and  the  horned  owl;   and  the 

18.  peHcan,  and  the  vulture,  and  the  cormorant;    and 
the  stork,  and  the  heron  after  its  kind,  and  the  hoopoe, 

19.  and  the  bat.    And  all  winged  creeping  things  are 

20.  unclean  unto  you:  ^they  shall  not  be  eaten.^     Of 
all  clean  fowls  ye  may  eat. 

1  Sam.  Gr.  om.  (so  Lev.  11 :  14).         2  Sam.  Gr.  ye  shall  not  eat  of  them. 

11-20.  Of  birds  clean  and  unclean. 

11.  This  verse  is  not  found  in  the  parallel  passage. 

12.  "  The  griffon-vulture  and  the  bearded-vulture  and  the  os- 
prey."  The  first  of  these  three  is  referred  to  elsewhere  in  the 
O.  T.,  Mic.  1:16;  Isa.  40 :  31 ;  Job  39  :  27. 

13.  Read  as  in  Lev,  11 :  14,  simply,  "  the  kite  and  the  falcon  " ; 
the  word  translated  glede  seems  to  have  come  in  through  a 
repetition  of  similar  forms. 

17.  Vulture,  i.e.  the  carrion  vulture. 

19.  Winged  creeping  things;  the  phrase  means  creatures  that 
appear  in  swarms  and  have  the  power  of  flying. 

20.  Fowls  here  may  mean  the  winged  insects  of  the  previous 
verses,  in  that  case  it  may  be  an  abridgment  of  the  fuller  statement 
in  Lev.  11 :  21-22. 

It  is  probable  that  this  whole  passage  is  based  upon  the  similar 
list  in  Lev.  11,  and  so  does  not  belong  to  the  original  strata  of 
Deut.^  It  deals  with  a  subject  that  has  played  a  great  part  in 
the  history  of  religious  ceremonial.  The  distinction  between 
clean  and  unclean  animals  was  ancient  in  Israel  and  was  not 
confined  to  that  nation.  Cf.  Gen.  7:  2,  8;  8 :  20  (J).  It  is  not 
possible  to  discern  any  clear  scientific  principle  of  division.  At 
this  stage  Hebrew  scholars  were  working  upon  material  which  had 
already  to  some  extent  lost  its  primitive  significance.     The  sani- 

119 


14:21  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

21.  Ye  shall  not  eat  of  any  thing  that  dieth  of  itself: 
thou  mayest  give  it  unto  the  stranger  that  is  within 
thy  gates,  that  he  may  eat  it ;  or  thou  mayest  sell  it 
imto  a  foreigner:  for  thou  art  an  holy  people  unto 
the  Lord  thy  God.  Thou  shalt  not  seethe^  a  kid  in 
its  mother's  milk. 

»  SV  boil. 

tary  or  dietetic  reasons  may  have  come  into  play  in  particular 
instances  and  later  details,  as  well  as  feelings  of  natural  repulsion 
towards  certain  creatures,  but  when  all  allowances  of  that  kind 
are  made  it  seems  safest  to  assume  that  the  primitive  reasons  were 
of  a  religious  character,  showing  the  influence  of  animistic  and 
totemistic  conceptions.  It  is  in  this  direction  that  we  must  look 
for  the  main  origin  of  these  taboos.  It  can  be  proved  that  all  the 
animals  mentioned  have  at  some  time  been  the  objects  of  religious 
veneration.  The  serpent,  for  example,  was  looked  upon  as  in  a 
special  sense  a  demonic  animal,  and  with  superstitious  people 
fear  of  such  a  creature  often  passed  into  worship.  The  totem 
animal  was  not  eaten  by  its  own  tribe  except  on  sacramental  occa- 
sions. That  which  was  a  sacramental  animal  to  one  tribe  was 
unclean  to  another.  While  the  Hebrew  legislator  might  not  be 
acquainted  with  the  origin  of  all  these  ideas,  it  was  clear  to  him  that 
things  associated  with  heathen  rites  must  be  kept  outside  the  circle 
of  Hebrew  worship,  Isa.  66  :  3  ;   Ezek.  8  :  10  f. 

21.  That  which  dieth  of  itself  may  not  be  eaten  by  the  Israelite, 
the  main  reason  being  that  the  carcase  had  not  been  properly 
bled.  In  Lev.  17:  15  f.  this  command  follows  the  prohibition 
against  eating  blood.  In  Exod.  22:  31  flesh  that  has  been  torn 
of  beasts  shall  not  be  eaten ;  it  shall  be  cast  to  the  dogs.  Here  that 
which  dieth  of  itself  shall  not  be  eaten ;  it  may  be  given  to  the 
sojourner  or  sold  to  the  foreigner.  In  Lev.  17 :  15  f.  (P)  neither 
the  Israelite  nor  the  sojourner  can  eat  these  forms  of  flesh.  The 
law  in  Deut.  evidently  belongs  to  an  earher  age  than  that 
of  P;  the  sojourner  is  treated  kindly  and  has  certain  religious 
rights  and  duties,  29:  11;  5:  14;  but  he  is  not  yet,  as  in  P, 
brought  into  such  close  relation  to  the  Hebrew  worship ;  in  other 
words,  he  is  not  treated  as  a  proselyte. 

The  last  half  of  this  verse  seems  to  be  out  of  place  here ;  it  is 
taken  from  Exod.  23:19;  34:26.  This  prohibition  does  not 
rest  upon  sentiment  or  a  sense  of  unnaturalness ;  it  is  directed 
against  some  superstitious  custom  among  the  shepherds,  a  special 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  14 

22.  Thou  shalt  surely  tithe  all  the  increase  of  thy  seed, 
that  which  cometh  forth  of  the  field  year  by  year. 

23.  And  thou  shalt  eat  before  the  Lord  thy  God,  in  the 
place  which  he^  shall  choose  to  cause  his  name  to 
dwell  there,  the  tithe  of  thy  corn,  of  thy  wine,  and  of 
thine  oil,  and  the  firstlings  of  thy  herd  and  of  thy 
flock;   that  thou  mayest  learn  to  fear  the  Lord  thy 

24.  God  always.  And  if  the  way  be  too  long  for  thee, 
so  that  thou  art  not  able  to  carry  it,  because  the  place 

1  Sam.  Gr.  reads  Yahweh  thy  God,  as  subject. 

virtue  was  ascribed  to  such  milk,  it  was  used  to  increase  the  fruit- 
fulness  of  gardens  and  trees  and  also  in  mystic  rites. 

(3)   The  Law  of  Tithes;    14:22-29 

22-29.  The  fundamental  law  of  Chap.  12  transposes  the  offer- 
ing of  tithes  from  the  local  sanctuaries  to  Jerusalem  and  here  we 
have  more  detailed  provisions  for  the  carrying  out  of  that  law. 
The  tithe  as  a  form  of  taxation  was  known  among  Babylonians, 
Egyptians,  and  other  ancient  nations ;  it  is  mentioned  as  a  royal 
tax  in  I  Sam.  8:  15.  Though  it  is  not  mentioned  in  the  oldest 
Hebrew  codes,  the  sacred  tithe  was  no  doubt  in  use  in  early 
times;  cf.  Gen.  28:  22;  Amos  4:4.  Deut.  places  on  the  basis 
of  definite  law  that  which  had  already  existed  as  popular  custom. 
With  this  should  be  compared  the  following  passages,  26 :  12-15 ; 
Num.  18:  21-28  (P) ;  Lev.  27  :  32  f.  (P^).  In  the  Priestly  Code 
the  tithe  is  given  to  the  Levites  for  their  support,  while  they  in 
turn  give  a  tithe  of  this  to  the  priests ;  in  the  later  passage.  Lev.  27, 
a  tithe  of  cattle  is  included. 

22.  The  increase  of  thy  seed.  This  phrase,  as  we  see  from  the 
following  verse,  is  not  to  be  taken  too  literally. 

23.  The  firstlings,  etc.,  perhaps  transposed  from  12:  17.  For 
the  law  with  regard  to  these  see  15  :  19.  It  had  been  customary  to 
hold  such  religious  festivals  at  the  various  sanctuaries,  the  new 
point  is  that  they  must  now  be  held  at  Jerusalem.  By  celebrat- 
ing the  feast  at  the  one  sanctuary  of  Israel's  one  God  he  is  acknowl- 
edged as  the  giver  of  all  these  good  things. 

24-26.  As  the  law  of  centralization  caused  the  regulations  as  to 
sacrifice  to  be  modified  on  account  of  the  distance  of  the  legitimate 
sanctuary,  Chap.  12,  so  is  it  here  with  the  law  of  tithes.     If  the 

121 


14:25  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

is  too  far  from  thee,  which  the  Lord  thy  God  shall 
choose  to  set  his  name  there,  when  the  Lord  thy  God 

25.  shall  bless  thee :  then  shalt  thou  turn  it  into  money, 
and  bind  up  the  money  in  thine  hand,  and  shalt  go 
unto  the  place  which  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  choose : 

26.  and  thou  shalt  bestow  the  money  for  whatsoever  thy 
soul  desire th,  for  oxen,  or  for  sheep,  or  for  wine,  or  for 
strong  drink,  or  for  whatsoever  thy  soul  asketh  of  thee : 
and  thou  shalt  eat  there  before  the  Lord  thy  God, 
and  thou  shalt  rejoice,  thou  and  thine  household: 

27.  and  the  Levite  that  is  within  thy  gates,  Hhou  shalt 
not  forsake  him  ;  ^  for  he  hath  no  portion  nor  inherit- 
ance with  thee. 

28.  At  the  end  of  every  three  years  thou  shalt  bring 
forth  all  the  tithe  of  thine  increase  in  the  same  year, 

29.  and  shalt  lay  it  up  within  thy  gates :  and  the  Levite, 
because  he  hath  no  portion  nor  inheritance  with  thee, 
and  the  stranger,  and  the  fatherless,  and  the  widow, 

*  Gr.  om. 

offerer  lives  at  a  great  distance  from  the  sanctuary,  he  may  turn 
the  tithe  into  money,  for  convenience  of  carrying  it  on  his  pil- 
grimage, and  at  his  journey's  end  purchase  what  he  desires  for 
the  sacrificial  feast.  Thus  a  great  change  is  introduced;  the 
sacrificial  feast  must  be  at  Jerusalem,  the  feasts  at  home  become 
secular.  "Wine  and  strong  drink  are  frankly  mentioned  as  ele- 
ments of  joyfulness;  cf.  i  Sam.  i :  13. 

27.  The  Levite  who  loses  by  the  change  of  custom  must  be  the 
object  of  generous  care  at  these  festivals.  The  legislator  is  evi- 
dently not  acquainted  with  the  rich  provision  made  in  the  Priestly 
Code,  Num.  18  :  21 ;   Lev.  27  :  32. 

28-29.  These  verses  show  the  philanthropic  spirit  of  Deut. ; 
in  the  third  year  the  tithe  must  be  deposited  at  some  place 
near  the  offerer's  home  and  applied  for  the  benefit  of  the  Levite 
and  the  needy.  This  was  called  in  later  times  "  the  tithe  of  the 
poor."  This  book,  quite  in  the  prophetic  spirit,  takes  these  help- 
less classes  under  its  care.     See  16:  11-14;   24:  17  f. ;   26:  12-13. 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  15 

which  are  within  thy  gates,  shall  come,  and  shall  eat 

and  be  satisfied ;  that  the  Lord  thy  God  may  bless 

thee  in  all  the  work  of  thine  hand  ^  which  thou  doest. 

15.       At  the  end  of  every  seven  years  thou  shalt  make 

2.  a  release.  And  this  is  the  manner  of  the  release: 
every  creditor  shall  release  that  which  he  hath  lent  unto 
his  neighbour;  he  shall  not  exact  it  of  his  neighbour 
and  his  brother ;  because  the  Lord's  release  hath  been 
proclaimed. 

3.  Of  a  foreigner  thou  mayest  exact  it :  but  whatsoever 
of  thine  is  with  thy  brother  thine  hand  shall  release.^ 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  hands.       *  m.  release:  save  when  there,  etc. 

The  relationship  of  the  triennial  tithe  or  "  tithe  of  the  poor  " 
to  the  regular  tithe  is  not  quite  clear ;  some  regard  it  as  an  addi- 
tional tithe,  but  it  is  more  probable  that  it  is  intended  to  set  apart 
the  whole  of  the  regular  tithe  in  the  third  year  for  the  support  of 
the  Levites  and  the  poor.  The  intention  of  the  legislation  is 
benevolent  and  has  had  a  kindly  influence  on  later  times. 

4.  Laws  concerning  the  Remission  of  Debts  and  the  Release  of  Slaves; 
15:1-18 

This  chapter  continues  the  consideration  of  the  case  of  the  poor. 
Every  third  year  there  is  special  provision  for  them  from  the  tithe, 
and  the  seventh  year  also  brings  for  them  certain  advantages. 

i-ii.  The  remission  of  debts. 

1.  A  release.  A  verb  derived  from  the  same  root  is  used  in 
Exod.  23  :  II,  of  letting  the  land  rest.  This  takes  place  at  the  end 
of  a  period  of  seven  years,  or  in  the  seventh  year. 

2.  "  The  creditor  shall  renounce  that  which  he  has  lent."  There 
is  difference  of  opinion  on  an  important  point ;  the  ancient  inter- 
preters generally  take  the  law  to  mean  that  an  actual  remission  of 
the  loan  was  intended,  while  the  moderns  think  that  it  is  merely  the 
suspension  for  one  year  of  the  right  to  claim  the  debt.  Yahweh's 
release.  The  economic  laws  are  regarded  as  quite  religious  in 
their  nature. 

3.  A  foreigner.  A  mere  temporary  visitor  who  is  not  bound  to 
Israel  by  any  religious  or  social  ties  cannot  claim  the  advantages 
of  this  law. 

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15  :  4  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

D»  4.  Howbeit  there  shall  be  no  poor  with  thee;  (for  the 
LoRD^  will  surely  bless  thee  in  the  land  which  the 
Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee  for  an    inheritance  to 

5.  possess  it;)  if  only  thou  dihgently  hearken  unto  the 
voice  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  to  observe  to  do  all  this 

6.  commandment  which  I  command  thee  this  day.  For 
the  Lord  thy  God  will  bless  thee,  as  he  promised  thee: 
and  thou  shalt  lend  unto  many  nations,  but  thou  shalt 
not  borrow ;  and  thou  shalt  rule  over  many  nations, 
but  they  shall  not  rule  over  thee. 

D  7.  If  there  be  with  thee  a  poor  man,  one  of  thy  brethren, 
within  any  of  thy  gates  in  thy  ^  land  which  the  Lord 
thy  God  giveth  thee,  thou  shalt  not  harden  thine 
heart,  nor  shut  thine  hand  from  thy  poor  brother: 

8.  but  thou  shalt  surely  open  thine  hand  unto  him,  and 
shalt  surely  lend  him  sufficient  for  his  need  in  that 

9.  which  he  wanteth.  Beware  that  there  be  not  a  base 
thought  in  thine  heart,  saying,  The  seventh  year, 
the  year  of  release,  is  at  hand;  and  thine  eye  be  evil 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  add  thy  God.        «  Sam.  Gr.  the. 

4.  Howbeit  there  shall  be  no  poor.  This  is  the  closest  rendering 
of  the  original.  Other  translations  such  as  "  To  the  end  that 
there  be  no  poor  among  you,"  or  "  Howbeit  there  should  be  no 
poor,"  are  influenced  by  the  fact  that  these  verses  4-6  stand  in 
apparent  contradiction  to  the  context  and  in  fact  to  the  whole 
spirit  of  Deut.  with  its  constantly  recurring  exhortations  to 
care  for  the  poor.  As  it  reflects  the  economic  conditions  of  a 
later  time  when  the  Jews  were  gaining  an  international  position 
as  a  trading  people,  it  may  be  that  the  whole  passage  is  a  gracious 
promise  put  into  Deuteronomic  form  by  a  later  writer.  It  reflects 
the  faith  that  if  men  lived  rightly  and  followed  the  laws  of  their 
God  there  would  be  no  poor. 

7.  Connects  very  well  with  vs.  3.  The  brother  is  to  be  treated 
generously  and  the  nearness  of  the  year  of  remission  must  be  not 
made  a  pretext  for  hardening  the  heart  against  him. 

9.  Shows  a  keen  knowledge  of  human  nature  and  presents 
124 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  15 

against  thy  poor  brother,  and  thou  give  him  nought ; 
and  he  cry  unto  the  Lord  against  thee,  and  it  be  sin 

10.  unto  thee.  Thou  shalt  surely  give  him,  and  ^  thine 
heart  shall  not  be  grieved^  when  thou  givest  unto 
him:  because  that  for  this  thing  the  Lord  thy  God 
shall  bless  thee  in  all  thy  work,  and  in  all  that  thou 
puttest  thine  hand  unto.    For  the  poor  shall  never 

11.  cease  out  of  the  land:  therefore  I  command  thee, 
saying.  Thou  shalt  surely  open  thine  hand  unto  thy 
brother,  to  thy  needy,  and  to  thy  poor,  in  thy  land. 

12.  If  thy  brother,  an  Hebrew  man,  or  an   Hebrew 

1  Sam.  Gr.  thou  shalt  not  grieve  in  thy  heart. 

strongly  the  appeal  of  the  brother  to  the  nation's  God  against  greed 
and  meanness. 

10.  The  favor  loses  its  value  unless  done  cheerfully,  in  the  spirit 
of  generosity  and  faith,  cf.  Rom.  12:8;    2  Cor.  9 :  7. 

1 1 ,  The  reason  for  such  legislation  is  that  the  poor  shall  never 
cease  out  of  the  land.  Compare  this  with  the  statement  in  v.  4. 
This  law  embodies  the  Deuteronomic  ideal  of  Israelitish  brother- 
hood ;  a  spirit  of  mutual  helpfulness  should  pervade  the  life  of  a 
nation  that  is  bound  together  by  such  noble  memories  and  by 
faith  in  one  Hving  God.  Such  laws  could  never  be  carried  out  with 
unchanging  rigor ;  the  important  thing  is  to  preserve  the  spirit  of 
righteousness  and  benevolence  in  our  social  life.  The  reading  of 
Neh.  5  will  suffice  to  show  how  difficult  it  was  to  translate  such  ideas 
into  actual  practice,  there  was  hindrance  through  human  selfish- 
ness as  well  as  social  conditions.  In  the  early  days  of  the  Hebrew 
people  life  was  simple  and  loans  were  small,  asked  for  only  in  cases 
of  great  need.  In  later  times,  when  the  Jews  had  to  do  with 
large  commercial  transactions,  while  paying  respect  to  the  letter, 
they  had  various  legal  ways  of  avoiding  that  exact  obedience  which 
would  have  rendered  many  forms  of  business  impossible. 

12-18.  Law  regulating  the  release  of  the  slave.  This  is  con- 
nected with  the  contents  of  the  previous  verse  by  the  fact  that  the 
Hebrew  man  or  woman  came  into  slavery  through  debt.  This 
law  is  found  in  Exod.  21 :  2-6  (JE) ;  here  we  have  the  preaching 
element  peculiar  to  Deut.  and  certain  variations  noted  below. 
We  read  of  one  attempt  to  carry  out  this  law,  Jer.  34 :  8  ff. 
There  is  a  law  in  Lev.  25 :  39  ff.  (P)  which  shows  a  more  ad- 

125 


15^13 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


woman,  be  sold  unto  thee,  and  serve  thee  six  years; 
then  in  the  seventh  year  thou  shalt  let  him  go  free 
from  thee. 

13.  And  when  thou  lettest  him  go  free  from  thee,  thou 

14.  shalt  not  let  him  go  empty:  thou  shalt  furnish  him 
liberally  out  of  thy  flock,  and  out  of  thy  threshing- 
floor,  and  out  of  liiy  winepress:   as^  the  Lord  thy 

15.  God  hath  blessed  thee  thou  shalt  give  unto  him.  And 
thou  shalt  remember  that  thou  wast  a  bondman  in 
the  land  of  Egypt,  and  the  Lord  thy  God  redeemed 
thee:   therefore  I  command  thee  this  thing  to-day. 

16.  And  it  shall  be,  if  he  say  unto  thee,  I  will  not  go  out 

1  So  read  Sam.  Gr. ;  Heb.  and  AV  read  of  that  wherewith. 

vanced  state  of  feeling ;  it  is  beginning  to  be  felt  that  there  is  in 
the  relation  of  master  and  slave  something  inconsistent  with  the 
brotherhood  of  Israelites  as  this  rests  upon  a  religious  basis.  In 
judging  the  slavery  of  the  olden  times  we  must  remember  that  the 
thought  of  the  separateness  and  dignity  of  the  individual  person- 
ality was  not  yet  made  prominent ;  further  that  slavery  was  an 
essential  part  of  early  Semitic  society;  that  for  the  poor  and 
unprotected  it  was  a  condition  of  comparative  comfort  and  secur- 
ity; while  there  were  cases  of  harshness  and  cruelty,  there  were 
others  of  friendliness  and  mutual  helpfulness. 

12.  This  law  refers  to  Hebrew  slaves  only.  If  the  phrase  "  or 
the  Hebrewess  "  belongs  to  the  original  form  of  this  verse,  it 
makes  a  real  difference  from  Exod.  21:7,  and  places  the  woman  in 
the  same  position  as  the  man.  In  the  interval  the  absolute  power 
of  the  father  over  the  daughter  may  have  been  lessened.  There 
may  be  some  significance  in  the  fact  that  in  the  corresponding 
verse  in  Exod.  the  word  buy  is  used  while  here  it  is  selleih  himself 
or  be  sold. 

13-14.  The  question  of  a  man's  wife  and  family  is  passed  over 
here,  cf.  Exod.  21 :  3-4,  and  instead  we  have  the  demand  for 
generous  treatment  of  the  departing  slave. 

14.  Thou  shalt  furnish  him  liberally.  The  original  here  is  a 
striking  phrase,  "  Thou  shalt  give  him  a  necklace  or  a  birthday 
present." 

15.  The  application  of  history  to  present  duty,  so  characteristic 
of  this  book,  cf.  6  :  16 ;   16:12;   24:18,22. 

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THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


from  thee;   because  he  loveth  thee  and  thine  house, 

17.  because  he  is  well  with  thee;  then  thou  shalt  take  an 
awl,  and  thrust  it  through  his  ear  unto  the  door,  and 
he  shall  be  thy  servant^  for  ever.     And  also  unto 

18.  thy  maidservant  2  thou  shalt  do  Ukewise.  It  shall 
not  seem  hard  unto  thee,^  when  thou  lettest  him  go 
free  from  thee;  for  to  the  double  of  the  hire  of  an 
hireling  hath  he  served  thee  six  years :  and  the  Lord 
thy  God  shall  bless  thee  in  all  that  thou  doest. 

19.  All  the  firstling  males  that  are  born  of  thy  herd  and  of 
thy  flock  thou  shalt  sanctify  unto  the  Lord  thy  God : 
thou  shalt  do  no  work  with  the  firstling  of  thine  ox, 


*  m.  bondman.  *  m.  bondwoman.  '  Heb.  in  thine  eye;  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  in  thine 
eyes  (pi.).  ♦ 

16.  It  might  be  better  to  stay  where  he  was  provided  for,  than 
to  face  the  world  alone.  There  might  be  other  ties  as  well  as 
loyalty  to  the  master,  cf.  Exod.  21:5. 

17.  In  Exod.  the  ceremony  by  which  the  slave  is  bound  to 
perpetual  servitude  has  a  sacred  character,  whether  it  took  place 
at  a  public  sanctuary  or  before  a  private  shrine.  "  Then  his 
master  shall  bring  him  unto  God."  In  Deut.,  of  course,  the 
ceremony  loses  its  sacred  character. 

18.  If  there  are  noble  motives  urging  to  this  course,  it  is  also  true 
that  on  a  mere  business  basis  the  master  owes  something  to  the 
slave ;  the  same  work  from  a  hired  servant  would  have  cost  double 
the  price. 

5.  Law  concerning  the  First-born  of  Animals;  15:  19-23 

19—23.  In  12  :  17  we  have  a  reference  to  firstlings  which  is  more 
fully  developed  here,  just  as  in  14:  22  ff.  the  matter  of  tithes  is 
elaborated.  This  is  a  brief  general  statement,  the  writer's  chief 
concern  being  that  the  firstlings  which  were  fit  for  sacrifice  should 
be  presented  at  the  central  sanctuary.  It  reproduces  the  earlier 
ordinances,  Exod.  34:  19;  13:  11-16;  22:  29  (JE) ;  except  that 
here  there  is  no  mention  of  "  the  first-born  of  man."  In  the  later 
Priestly  Law  the  presentation  of  the  firstlings  is  no  longer  a  sacri- 
ficial meal ;  it  has  become  a  tax  paid  to  the  priests. 

19.  Here  we  see  the  force  of  sanctify;  it  is  recognized  that 
127 


15:20  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

20.  nor  shear  the  firstling  of  thy  flock.  Thou  shalt  eat  it 
before  the  Lord  thy  God  year  by  year  in  the  place 
which  the  Lord  shall  choose,  thou  and  thy  household. 

21.  And  if  it  have  any  blemish,  as  if  it  be  lame  or  blind, 
any  ill  blemish  whatsoever,  thou  shalt  not  sacrifice  it 

22.  unto  the  Lord  thy  God.  Thou  shalt  eat  it  within 
thy  gates :  the  imclean  and  the  clean  shall  eat  it  alike, 

23.  as  the  gazelle,  and  as  the  hart.  Only  thou  shalt  not  eat 
the  blood  thereof ;  thou  shalt  pour  it  out  upon  the  ground 
as  water. 

D  16.       Observe  the  month  of  Abib,  and  keep  the  passover 

these  animals  belong  so  entirely  to  Yahweh  that  the  owner  has 
no  property  in  them. 

20.  They  are  to  be  eaten  in  a  sacrificial  meal  at  the  central 
sanctuary.  Year  by  year.  According  to  the  earlier  law  the 
presentation  was  made  eight  days  after  birth,  as  at  that  time 
altars  were  near  at  hand,  but  with  one  central  sanctuary  they 
must  be  reserved  for  the  annual  pilgrimage. 

21.  For  the  general  rule  see  17  :  i.  That  which  is  not  up  to  the 
standard  of  sacrificial  perfection,  but  yet  fit  for  food,  may  be  eaten 
at  home,  if  the  regulation  laid  down  in  12:  22-23  is  carefully 
observed. 

6.  The  Three  Annual  Festivals;   16  :  1-17 

Among  the  Hebrews,  in  early  days,  festivals  were  held  on  new 
moons  and  sabbaths,  for  worship  and  joyful  intercourse,  i  Sam. 
20 :  5  ;  Amos  8:5;  Isa.  i :  14.  There  were  also  other  feasts  of 
a  social  and  partly  religious  character,  2  Sam.  13 :  23.  But 
three  great  festivals  stand  out  prominently  in  the  oldest  docu- 
ments; "Three  times  in  the  year  shall  all  thy  males  appear 
before  Yahweh  thy  God,"  Exod.  34:23  (J).  These  festivals 
appear  in  all  the  codes ;  the  peculiar  Deuteronomic  contribution 
is  the  insistence  on  the  command  that  they  shall  be  observed 
at  the  central  sanctuary.  They  passed  gradually  through  three 
stages :  at  first  they  were  connected  with  the  pastoral  or  agri- 
cultural life  of  the  people,  then  they  received  a  noble  historical 
interpretation,  and  finally  they  become  fixed  church  festivals 
with  more  solemn  associations  and  with  a  more  definite  theolog- 
ical application.  In  accordance  with  the  general  character  of 
the  book,  it  is  in  Deut.  where  the  historical  interpretation 
appears  with  greatest  fulness  and  clearness. 

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THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  l6 

unto  the  Lord  thy  God:   for  in  the  month  of  Abib 
the  Lord  thy  God  brought  thee  forth  out  of  Egypt  by 

2.  night.  And  thou  shalt  sacrifice  the  passover  unto  the 
Lord  thy  God,  of  the  flock  and  the  herd,  in  the  place 
which  the  Lord^  shall  choose  to  cause   his  name  to 

3.  dwell  there.  Thou  shalt  eat  no  leavened  bread  with 
it ;  seven  days  shalt  thou  eat  unleavened  bread  there- 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  add  thy  God. 

1-8.  The  feast  of  the  Passover  (and  of  unleavened  Bread). 

1.  Abib,  the  month  of  green  ears,  the  pre-Exilic  name  for  the 
month  (March-April)  which  was  afterward  called  Nisan.  Exod. 
13:4;  23:15  (JE);  in  P,  "  the  first  month."  Passover.  This 
is  the  name  of  an  ancient  religious  observance  whose  origin  and 
primitive  form  are  unknown.  The  earliest  references  assume 
its  existence  and  give  it  a  connection  with  the  Exodus,  Exod. 
12:  I  ff. ;  10 :  9.  It  may  have  originated  in  an  ancient  custom 
of  sprinkling  the  tent-poles  with  blood  as  an  appeal  to  the  deity 
for  mercy  and  protection  in  times  of  plague,  and  was  then  asso- 
ciated with  the  spring  festival,  when  a  lamb  was  slain  in  sacrifice 
and  eaten  with  joyful  worship.  It  is  impossible  to  harmonize 
all  the  detailed  statements  in  the  different  documents;  they 
represent  changing  customs  and  ideas  belonging  to  different 
periods. 

2.  In  P,  Exod.  12:3-6,  the  paschal  sacrifice  is  limited  to  a 
lamh;  from  this  statement  it  appears  that  the  offering  might, 
in  the  time  when  Deuteronomy  was  written,  be  either  a  bullock 
or  a  sheep,  probably  the  first-born  of  these  animals,  15  :  19. 

3.  Here  we  have  connected  with  the  Passover  another  custom 
or  observance  which  was  no  doubt  originally  separate,  the  feast 
of  unleavened  bread.  The  two  are  here  combined  either  by  the 
Deuteronomic  or  a  later  editor;  the  result  is  not  quite  clear; 
vs.  3  and  4  seem  to  break  the  connection  while  it  is  difficult  to 
harmonize  vs.  7  and  8.  In  the  other  codes  the  feast  of  un- 
leavened bread  is  kept  distinct,  though  placed  in  the  same  month 
and  associated  with  the  Exodus,  Exod.  12:21-27;  13:3-10; 
23:15-18;  34:25  (JE);  Exod.  12:1-13,  43-49;  Lev.  23:9-14; 
Num.  9  :  1-14 ;  28  :  16  (P  and  H).  This  feast  in  its  earliest  form  was 
agricultural,  it  was  the  first  of  the  three  great  harvest  festivals. 
The  bread  made  in  haste  in  the  first  week  of  harvest  was  unleav- 
ened ;  cf .  Gen.  18:6;  19:3;  Josh.  5:11.  Cakes  of  this  along  with 
the  first  sheaf  of  grain  may  have  been  presented  to  God,  Lev. 

K  129 


i6:4  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

with,  even  the  bread  of  affliction ;  for  thou  earnest 
forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  in  haste:  that  thou 
mayest  remember  the  day  when  thou  earnest  forth  out 
of  the  land  of  Egypt  all  the  days  of  thy  Ufe. 

4.  And  there  shall  be  no  leaven  seen  with  thee  in  all 
thy  borders  seven  days;  neither  shall  any  of  the 
flesh,    which  thou  sacrificest  the  first  day  at  even, 

5.  remain  all  night  until  the  morning.  Thou  mayest  not 
sacrifice  the  passover  within  any  of  thy  gates,  which 

6.  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee:  but  at  the  place 
which  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  choose  to  cause  his 
name  to  dwell  in,  there  thou  shall  sacrifice  the  pass- 
over  at  even,  at  the  going  down  of  the  sun,  at  the 

7.  season  that  thou  camest  forth  out  of  Egypt.  And 
thou  shalt  roast  ^  and  eat  it  in  the  place  which  the 
Lord  thy  God  shall  choose :   and  thou  shalt  turn  in 

8.  the  morning,  and  go  unto  thy  tents.  Six  days  thou 
shalt  eat  unleavened  bread:  and  on  the  seventh  day 
shall  be  a  solemn  assembly  to  the  Lord  thy  God; 
thou  shalt  do  no^  work  therein. 

1  m.  seethe.       *  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  add  any,  i.e.  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work. 

Lev.  23  :  10.  Later,  thoughts  connected  with  the  deliverance  from 
Egypt  were  added  to  it.  The  Baal  worship  attached  great  im- 
portance to  feasts  associated  with  the  soil,  and  it  was  natural 
that  Deut.  while  claiming  these  gifts  for  Yahweh  should  lay- 
emphasis  upon  the  manifestations  of  God  in  history.  Thus  the 
phrases  bread  of  affliction  and  in  haste  (better,  with  trepidation) 
refer  to  the  Egyptian  oppression. 

4.  The  command  to  confine  the  celebration  to  the  evening 
may  be  a  survival  from  an  original  lunar  festival. 

5.  The  passover  now  loses  its  local  character,  but  retains  some 
of  its  features  as  a  social  festival  in  the  presence  of  Israel's  God. 
For  a  somewhat  different  statement  see  Ezek.  45 :  21  ff. 

7.  Roast,  lit.  ''hoil";  in  Exod.  12:9  (P)  it  is  commanded 
not  to  boil  it ;  boiling  seems  to  have  been  the  earlier  usage ;  cf . 
I  Sam.  2  :  13-15.     Go  unto  thy  tents,  i.e.  go  home,  a  phrase  which 

130 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  i6  :  n 

9.  Seven  weeks  shalt  thou  number  unto  thee:  from 
the  time  thou  beginnest  to  put  the  sickle  to  the  stand- 
ing corn^  shalt  thou  begin  to  number  seven  weeks. 

10.  And  thou  shalt  keep  the  feast  of  weeks  unto  the 
Lord  thy  God  with  ^  a  tribute  of  a  freewill  ofifering  of 
thine  hand,  which  thou  shalt  give,  according  as  the 

11.  Lord  thy  God  blesseth  ^  thee :  and  thou  shalt  rejoice 
before  the  Lord  thy  God,  thou,  and  thy  son,  and  thy 
daughter,  and  ^  thy  manservant,  and  thy  maidservant, 
and  the  Levite  that  is  within  thy  gates,  and  the 

1  SV  grain.  ^  m.  afkr  the  measure  of  the.  *  Sam.  Gr.  hath  blessed  (so  AV). 

*  Sam.  Gr.  om.  and. 

continued  in  use  after  the  Israelites  had  passed  the  tent  stage. 
In  JE,  Exod.  13  :  6,  the  seventh  day  is  called  a  pilgrimage,  or  a 
festal  gathering  of  pilgrims,  here  it  is  a  gathering  or  assembly; 
in  P,  Exod.  12  :  16,  it  is  a  holy  convocation. 

The  origin  and  manner  of  the  connection  of  these  two  observ- 
ances may  be  obscure,  but  the  fact  is  that  they  have  been  asso- 
ciated together  during  many  centuries.  For  Christians  the  Pass- 
over finds  its  continuation  and  completion  in  the  Easter  festival. 

9-12.  The  Feast  of  Weeks,  cf.  Exod.  23:16;  34:22  (JE) ; 
Lev.  23:  15-22  (H);  Num.  28:  26-31  (P).  In  JE  it  is  called 
the  "  Feast  of  Harvest  "  and  in  P  the  "  Day  of  the  First-fruits." 
In  the  earlier  codes  the  day  is  left  undetermined.  Here  there  is 
a  certain  indefiniteness  as  to  the  starting-point,  for  the  numbering 
of  the  seven  weeks  (fifty  days,  Pentecost)  is  not  the  Passover,  but 
the  beginning  of  harvest,  which  itself  would  be  subject  to  varia- 
tion. Lev.  23  :  15,  16  mentions  a  particular  day  from  which  the 
reckoning  is  to  begin. 

9.  "  From  the  beginning  of  the  sickle  in  the  standing  grain 
shalt  thou  begin  to  number  seven  weeks."  The  Feast  of  Un- 
leavened bread  was  at  the  beginning  of  harvest ;  the  Feast  of 
Weeks  at  the  end  of  the  grain  harvest. 

10.  The  word  for  feast  here  usually  means  a  pilgrimage  fes- 
tival. In  earlier  days  it  was  celebrated  at  the  local  sanctuaries 
with  freewill  offerings  and  great  social  festivity. 

11.  Deut.  preserves  the  family  character  and  the  social  joys, 
but  insists  that  the  pilgrimage  shall  be  to  the  one  lawful  sanc- 
tuary. The  great  concern  of  the  writer  is  not  with  the  character 
or  measure  of  the  gift,  but  with  the  place  of  offering. 

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THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


stranger,  and  the  fatherless,  and  the  widow,  that  are 
in  the  midst  of  thee,  in  the  place  which  the  Lord  thy 
God  shall  choose  to  cause  his  name  to  dwell  there. 

12.  And  thou  shalt  remember  that  thou  wast  a  bondman 
in  ^  Egypt:  and  thou  shalt  observe  and  do  these 
statutes. 

13.  Thou  shalt  keep  the  feast  of  tabernacles  ^  seven 
days,   after  that   thou  hast   gathered  in  from  thy 

14.  threshing-floor  and  from  thy  winepress:  and  thou 
shalt  rejoice  in  thy  feast,  thou,  and  thy  son,  and  thy 
daughter,  and  ^  thy  manservant,  and  thy  maidservant, 
and  the  Levite,  and  the  stranger,  and  the  fatherless, 

15.  and  the  widow,  that  are  within  thy  gates.  Seven 
days  shalt  thou  keep  a  feast  unto  the  Lord  thy  God 
in  the  place  which  the  Lord^  shall  choose:   because 

1  Sam.  Gr.  insert  (he  land  of.       *  m.  Heb.  booths.       '  Sam.  Gr.  om.  and.       *  Sam. 
Gr.  add  thy  God. 

12.  See  15:  15.  This  is  an  agricultural  festival,  but  the  mo- 
tive for  generosity  to  the  needy  is  drawn  from  Israel's  history. 

13-17.  The  Feast  of  Booths,  cf.  Exod.  23:  16;  34:  22  (JE) ; 
Num.  29:  12-38;  Lev.  23  :  33  ff.  (P  and  H).  In  JE  it  is  called 
the  Pilgrimage-festival  of  Ingathering ;  in  P  and  later  books  of 
the  O.  T.  it  is  named,  as  here,  the  Pilgrimage-festival  of  Booths. 
As  a  widely  observed  and  popular  feast  it  is  sometimes  referred 
to  emphatically  as  the  Festival  or  Pilgrimage.  Some  refer  its 
origin  to  nomadic  times,  when  the  Arabs  resorted,  as  they  still 
do,  to  the  oases  to  gather  their  supply  of  dates;  others  to  the 
custom  of  the  villagers  during  vintage  taking  up  their  abode  in 
the  vineyards  in  temporary  booths  and  huts.  See  the  following 
passages  :  Lev.  23  :  40 ;   Neh.  8:14;   Isa.  16:10;    1  Kgs.  8  :  2, 

13.  For  explanation  of  the  name  see  the  passage  in  Lev.  The 
importance  of  this  feast  is  seen  in  the  length  of  the  time  devoted 
to  it;  the  earlier  codes  do  not  define  the  length,  the  later  add 
another  day. 

15.  The  vintage  in  Palestine  comes  about  September,  some 
four  months  after  wheat-harvest.  When  all  is  gathered  in,  there 
is  to  be  a  festival  of  unmixed  joy,  celebrated  in  the  spirit  of  grati- 
tude and  generosity. 

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THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


the  Lord  thy  God  shall  bless  thee  in  all  thine  increase, 
and  in  all  the  work  of  thine  hands,  and  thou  shalt  be 
i6.  altogether  joyful.  Three  times  in  a  year  shall  all  thy  D* 
males  appear  ^  before  the  Lord  thy  God  in  the  place 
which  he  shall  choose;  in  the  feast  of  unleavened 
bread,  and  in  the  feast  of  weeks,  and  in  the  feast  of 
tabernacles :   and  they  shall  not  appear  ^  before  the 

17.  Lord  empty:  every  man  ^ shall  give  as  he  is  able,^ 
according  to  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  thy  God  which 
he  hath  given  thee. 

18.  Judges  and  officers  shalt  thou  make  thee  in  all  thy 
gates,  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee,  accord- 

1  Sam.  see  (the  face  of  Yahwek).        '  m.  Heb,  according  to  the  gift  of  his  hand. 

16-17.  Summary  reference  to  the  three  feasts.  Probably  the 
original  form  of  the  command  was,  three  times  in  a  year  shall 
all  thy  males  see  the  face  of  Yahweh.  In  primitive  times  the  vis- 
itor to  the  sanctuary  saw  some  symbol  of  the  God.  So  in  Isa. 
i:  12,  and  some  other  passages;  cf.  2  Sam.  3:  13.  These  two 
verses,  perhaps  by  an  editor  based  on  Exod.  23  :  14,  17 ;  34 :  20-23  J 
since  they  do  not  mention  the  Passover  and  give  special  promi- 
nence to  males ;   compare  v.  14. 

17.  Compare  2  Cor.  8:  12;  9:7. 

7.  Laws  relating  to  Officers  of  the  Community:    Judges,  Kings, 
Priests,  and  Prophets;  16:18-18:22  (except  16:21-17:7) 

18-20.  It  is  probable  that  in  early  days  the  elders  or  chief 
men  in  a  village  or  town  would  settle  disputed  cases,  subject  to 
appeal  to  a  higher  authority  where  such  was  in  existence.  Many 
cases  were,  no  doubt,  referred  to  the  priest  as  the  representative 
of  God ;  cf.  Isa.  28  :  7.  In  Exod.  18  :  15  f.  seeking  a  judicial  deci- 
sion is  called  **  inquiring  of  God,"  and  civil  decisions  are  regarded 
as  "  statutes  and  laws  of  God."  The  abolition  of  the  local  sanc- 
tuaries and  the  removal  of  the  priests  made  it  necessary  to  ap- 
point secular  judges  to  take  their  place.  Hence  the  subject 
occupies  a  legitimate  and  important  place  in  the  Deuteronomic 
legislation. 

18.  A  broad  statement,  with  no  attempt  to  deal  with  details 
of  administration.  Officers,  some  kind  of  subordinate  ofl5cials 
named   elsewhere   along   with   elders    (29 :  10)    and   war  leaders 

133 


i6  :  19  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

ing  to  thy  tribes:   and  they  shall  judge  the  people 

19.  with  righteous  judgement.  ^  Thou  shalt  not  wrest 
judgement 2;  thou  shalt  not  respect  persons:  neither 
shalt  thou  take  a  gift  ^ ;  for  a  gift  doth  bUnd  the  eyes 
of  the  wise,  and  pervert  the  words  ^  of  the  righteous. 

20.  ^  That  which  is  altogether  just  ^  shalt  thou  follow,  that 
thou  mayest  Uve,  and  inherit  the  land  which  the  Lord 
thy  God  giveth  thee. 

21.  Thou  shalt  not  plant  thee  an  Asherah  of  any  kind 
of  tree  beside  the  altar  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  which 

22.  thou  shalt  make  thee.  Neither  shalt  thou  set  thee  up 
a  pillar^  which  the  Lord  thy  God  hateth. 

1  Sam.  Syr.  Tar.  begin  with  and.  2  SV  wrest  justice  and  bribe  for  gift. 

*  m.  cause.        *  m.  Heh.  Justice,  justice.         ^  ra.  obelisk. 

(20:5).  One  of  the  deepest  needs  of  any  community  is  the 
righteous  administration  of  justice,  and  that  was  the  one  thing 
lacking  in  Eastern  lands ;  cf .  Isa.  5  :  7. 

19.  This  verse  can  be  supplied  from  Exod.  23 :  6-8  (Book 
of  the  Covenant)  and  Deut.  1:17.  The  prophets  constantly 
denounce  the  greed  and  partiality  by  which  the  sources  of  justice 
are  poisoned. 

20.  To  this  demand  of  the  earlier  law  and  the  prophets  there 
is  added  an  exhortation  quite  in  the  Deuteronomic  style. 

8.  Further  Prohibition  of  Heathen  Practices  and  Idolatry;  16  :  21- 
17:  7 

Two  passages  which  break  the  connection.  See  note  on  12:32, 
21-22.  The  Asherahs  and  pillars  of  the  Canaanites  are  to  be 
destroyed;  cf .  7  :  5 ;  12:3;  and  such  things  must  not  be  intro- 
duced into  the  worship  of  Yahweh.  The  Asherah  was  a  wooden 
pole  planted  near  to  the  altar,  an  imitation  of  the  sacred  trees 
that  were  held  in  veneration  by  the  Canaanites,  Judg.  6:25- 
30;  I  Kgs.  14:  23.  The  pillar,  or  obelisk,  was  of  stone,  origi- 
nally a  natural  boulder  regarded  as  the  home  of  a  deity.  Gen.  28 : 
18,  later  replaced  by  an  artificial  pillar,  Jer.  43  :  13.  Such  a  pillar 
was  a  mark  of  a  holy  place,  and  in  earlier  times  it  was  used  with- 
out scruple  in  the  worship  of  Yahweh,  but  was  in  later  days 
rejected  and  denounced  because  of  its  superstitious  associations ; 
cf.  Exod.  24:1;    Isa.   19:19;    Mic.  5:13;    Lev.  26:1.     Some 

134 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


17-  Thou  shalt  not  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord  thy  God  an 
ox,  or  a  sheep,  wherein  is  a  blemish,  or  ^any  evil- 
favouredness:^  for  that  is  an  abomination  unto  the 
Lord  thy  God. 

2.  If  there  be  found  in  the  midst  of  thee,  within  any 
of  thy  gates  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee, 
man  or  woman,  that  doeth  that  which  is  evil  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  in  transgressing  his  cov- 

3.  enant,  and  hath  gone  and  served  other  gods,  and  wor- 
shipped them,  or  the  sun,  or  the  moon,  or  any  of  the 

4.  host  of  heaven,  which  I  have  not  commanded :  and  it 


SV  anything  evil. 


scholars  maintain  that  the  Asherah  and  pillar  were  the  symbols 
of  a  goddess  Asherah  (whose  place  was  later  taJcen  by  Astarte) 
and  of  Baal  respectively.  Thus  dramatically  in  a  speech  by 
Moses  customs  are  denounced  which  existed  in  Judah  six  centuries 
after  his  time ;  cf .  2  Kgs.  23  :  14. 

1.  Animals  offered  in  sacrifice  must  be  without  blemish. 
There  is  no  such  regulation  in  JE;  H,  Lev.  22:  17-25,  has  a 
detailed  statement  of  prohibited  defects.  See  Lev.  1:3,  10  (P) ; 
Mai.  1 :  7-8.  If  there  is  any  relation  with  the  context  it  must 
be  in  the  thought  that  such  offerings  were  quite  acceptable  at 
heathen  altars.  The  spirit  of  this  law,  if  not  its  exact  form,  is 
needed  in  modern  times. 

2-7.  An  Israelite  found  guilty  of  idolatry  is  to  be  put  to  death. 
Compare  the  brief  form  in  JE,  "  He  that  sacrificeth  unto  any  god, 
save  Yahweh  alone,  shall  be  utterly  destroyed,"  Exod.  22:20. 
In  Chap.  13  the  punishment  of  death  has  been  prescribed  for 
those  who  attempt  to  entice  others  into  idolatry,  now  it  is  decreed 
for  those  who  practise  it.  These  may  be  parallel  recensions  of 
older  laws. 

2.  That  which  is  evil.  Defined  in  the  next  verse.  On  the 
covenant  see  4:13. 

3.  The  worship  of  the  host  of  heaven,  imported  from  Baby- 
lonia and  Assyria,  was  dangerous  to  the  Hebrew  religion  in  the 
reign  of  Manasseh  and  the  days  immediately  following.  See 
4:19;  Zeph.  1:5;  Jer.  7  :  18,  etc. ;  Ezek.  8  :  16.  Which  I  have 
not  commanded.  Since  this  is  not  a  speech  of  God,  perhaps  this 
clause  is  an  editorial  addition;  cf.  Jer.  7 :  31. 


17:5  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

be  told  thee,  ^and  thou  hast  heard  of  it/  then  shalt 
thou  inquire  diUgently,  and,  behold,  if  it  be  true,  and 
the  thing  certain,  that  such  abomination  is  wrought 
5.  in  Israel;  then  shalt  thou  bring  forth  that  man  or 
that  woman,  ^  which  have  ^  done  this  evil  thing,  unto 
thy  gates  even  the  man  or  the  woman  ;^  *and  thou 
Heb.  10:28  6.  shalt  stone  them  with  stones,  that  they  die.*  At  the 
mouth  of  two  witnesses,  or  ^  three  witnesses,  shall  he 
that  is  to  die  be  put  to  death;  at  the  mouth  of  one 

7.  witness  he  shall  not  be  put  to  death.  The  hand  of  the 
witnesses  shall  be  first  upon  him  to  put  him  to  death, 
and  afterward  the  hand  of  all  the  people.  So  thou 
shalt  put  away  the  evil  from  the  midst  of  thee. 

8.  If  there  arise  a  matter  too  hard  for  thee  in  judge- 

»  Gr.  om.  *  SV  who  hath.        »  Gr.  om.  which  have  done  this  evil  thing,  unto 

thy  gates  even  the  man  or  the  woman.       *  SV  stone  them  to  death  with  stones. 
*  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  add  at  the  mouth  of. 

4.  The  same  phrases  as  in  13 :  14. 

5.  Gr.  and  Vg.  do  not  repeat  the  phrase  the  man  or  the  woman. 
The  stoning  takes  place  outside  the  city  in  front  of  the  gates  so 
that  the  city  will  not  be  polluted;  cf.  Lev.  24:  14;  Acts.  7:  58; 
Heb.  13 :  12.  The  severity  of  these  laws  shows  the  fierce  fashion 
in  which  the  Hebrew  religion  was  at  this  time  fighting  for  its 
life;  the  struggle  between  the  prophetic  and  popular  religion 
was  terrible  in  its  intensity.  These  laws  were  not  so  much  needed 
in  the  later  codes  when  the  battle  for  monotheism  was  practically 
won. 

6,7.  There  is  at  least  a  strain  of  humanity  in  the  safeguard 
that  not  less  than  two  witnesses  shall  be  required  for  conviction ; 
and  that  the  witnesses  shall  take  upon  themselves  a  heavy  share 
of  the  responsibility. 

8-13.  Resumes  the  question  of  judicial  procedure.  The  cen- 
tral court  of  appeal  for  difficult  cases  is  to  be  at  Jersualem ;  its 
decisions  are  to  be  implicitly  obeyed,  on  pain  of  death.  We  have 
no  further  information  concerning  the  constitution  of  this  Su- 
preme Court.  In  1:17  Moses  is  the  final  arbiter;  cf.  Exod. 
18:26.  In  later  times  the  kings  hold  this  position,  2  Sam. 
12:1-6;  15:2.  According  to  2  Chron.  19:8,  Jehoshaphat 
established  such  a  court. 

136 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


ment,  between  blood  and  blood,  ^  between  plea  and 
plea,  and  between  stroke  and  stroke,  being  matters 
of  controversy  within  thy  gates:  then  shalt  thou 
arise,  and  get  thee  up  unto  the  place  which  the  Lord 
9.  thy  God  shall  choose ;  and  thou  shalt  come  unto  the 
priests  the  Levites,  and  unto  the  judge  that  shall  be 
in  those  days:    and   thou^  shalt  inquire;    and   they 

10.  shall  shew  thee  the  sentence  of  judgement :  and  thou 
shalt  do  according  to  the  tenor  of  the  sentence,  which 
they  shall  shew  thee  from  that  place  which  the  Lord' 
shall  choose ;  and  thou  shalt  observe  to  do  according 

11.  to  all  that  they  shall  teach  thee:  according  to  the 
tenor  of  the  law  which  they  shall  teach  thee,  and 
according  to  the  judgement  which  they  shall  tell  thee, 
thou  shalt  do :  thou  shalt  not  turn  aside  from  the  sen- 
tence which  they  shall  shew  thee,  to  the  right  hand, 

12.  nor  to  the  left.  And  the  man  that  doeth  presumptu- 
ously, in  not  hearkening  imto  the  priest  that  standeth 
to  minister  there  before  the  Lord  thy  God,  or  unto 
the  judge,  even  that  man  shall  die:   and  thou  shalt 

13.  put  away  the  evil  from  Israel.  And  all  the  people 
shall  hear,  and  fear,  and  do  no  more  presumptuously. 

1  Sam.  Gr.  add  and.        »  Sam.  Gr.  they.        *  Sam.  Gr.  add  thy  God. 

8.  Hard,  i.e.  exceptional,  wonderful.  There  is  difficulty  in 
deciding  the  exact  shade  of  a  man's  offence  or  the  class  in 
which  his  crime  is  to  be  classified. 

9.  The  judge.  Whether  original  or  not,  probably  refers  to  the 
king.     It  seems  better  to  read  with  Gr.  Sam.  "  they  shall  inquire." 

II.  The  word  law  is  the  Hebrew  word  Torah  and  in  the  pre- 
vious verse  the  same  root  is  used  in  the  sense  of  teach  or  direct. 
This  word  Torah  has  an  interesting  history:  at  first  it  means 
teaching  or  direction,  then  it  comes  to  mean  a  precept,  a  body  of 
precepts,  and  finally  it  is  the  Hebrew  name  for  the  first  five  books 
of  the  O.  T.,  the  law  or  Torah  of  Moses.  The  statement  here  is 
that  authoritative  direction  is  given  by  the  priests  and  judges 

137 


17  :  14  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

D^  14.  When  thou  art  come  unto  the  land  which  the 
Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee,  and  shalt  possess  it, 
and  shalt  dwell  therein;  and  shalt  say,  I  will  set  a 
king  over  me,  like  as  all  the  nations  that  are  round 
15.  about  me ;  thou  shalt  4n  any  wise  ^  set  him  king  over 
thee,  whom  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  choose:  one 
from  among  thy  brethren  shalt  thou  set  king  over 
thee:    thou  mayest  not  put  a  foreigner  over  thee, 

1  SV  surely. 

in  Jerusalem,  as  the  representatives  of  Yahweh.  When  once 
given  it  is  absolutely  binding,  and  disobedience  to  it  is  to  be 
punished  as  a  form  of  religious  apostasy. 

14-20.  The  king,  his  character  and  duties.  This  law  is  pe- 
culiar to  Deut.  and  is  probably  here  a  supplementary  passage, 
in  whole  or  part.  It  should  be  compared  with  the  statements 
concerning  the  origin  of  the  kingship  in  i  Sam.  8  and  10. 
There  we  have  two  accounts,  one  which  pictures  the  rise  of  the 
kingdom  as  a  natural  development,  meeting  the  new  circum- 
stances of  the  nation,  the  other  which  represents  it  as  a  form  of 
rebellion  against  and  apostasy  from  Yahweh.  The  latter  position 
could  scarcely  have  been  taken  by  Samuel  if  he  had  been  ac- 
quainted with  the  law  of  Deuteronomy.  The  present  passage 
has  a  very  slight  contact  with  actual  political  afifairs  and  does 
not  enter  into  constitutional  details,  it  merely  gives  certain  broad 
warnings  and  sketches  a  particular  ideal  for  the  monarch;  an 
attempt,  perhaps,  to  elaborate  the  statement  found  in  i  Sam. 
10:  25. 

14.  This  implies  that  the  people  are  at  liberty  to  choose  a  king 
if  the  following  conditions  are  observed,  cf .  i  Sam.  8 :  5.  Like 
as  all  the  nations,  etc.  Does  the  use  of  the  phrase  here  suggest 
that  the  author  thinks  of  the  kingdom  as  a  heathenish  institu- 
tion? 

15.  The  king  is  to  be  appointed  by  the  people  but  also  chosen 
by  their  God.  See  Hos.  8:4.  In  Judah  the  prophets  and  priests 
as  representatives  of  Yahweh  played  their  part  in  the  choice  of  a 
king,  and  there  was  an  orderly  succession.  In  the  North  King- 
dom there  was  more  frequent  change  and  more  turbulent  faction. 
The  king  must  on  no  account  be  a  foreigner.  The  real  reason  for 
this  prohibition  is  not  known ;  there  is  no  part  of  their  history 
when  the  people  showed  any  tendency  to  choose  foreigners.  For 
friendly  feeling  towards  a  foreign  ruler,  see  Isa.  45 :  1-4. 

138 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


i6.  which  ^  is  not  thy  brother.  Only  he  shall  not  mul- 
tiply horses  to  himself,  nor  cause  the  people  to  return 
to  Egypt,  to  the  end  that  he  should  multiply  horses : 
forasmuch  as  the  Lord  hath  said  unto  you,  Ye  shall 

17.  henceforth  return  no  more  that  way.  Neither  shall 
he  multiply  wives  to  himself,  that  his  heart  turn  not 
away:    neither  shall  he  greatly  multiply  to  himself 

18.  silver  and  gold.  And  it  shall  be,  when  he  sitteth 
upon  the  throne  of  his  kingdom,  that  he  shall  write  him 
a  copy  of  this  law  in  a  book,  out  of  that  which  is 

19.  before  the  priests  the  Levites:  and  it  shall  be  with 
him,  and  he  shall  read  therein  all  the  days  of  his  life : 
that  he  may  learn  to  fear  the  Lord  his  God,  to  keep 
all  the  words  of  this  law  and  these  statutes,  to  do 

1  SV  who,  and  in  similar  cases. 

16.  The  aversion  of  the  prophets  to  horses  may  be  seen  from 
such  passages  as  Hos.  14:3;  Isa.  2:7;  30:16;  Mic.  1:13; 
5 :  10.  They  were  regarded  as  a  sign  of  foreign  luxury  and  an 
imitation  of  foreign  war  customs  which  implied  a  lack  of  trust  in 
Israel's  God.  The  religious  leaders  desired  that  the  nation  should 
retain  as  long  as  possible  its  primitive  simplicity  and  comparative 
purity.  So  far  as  we  can  learn  Solomon  was  the  first  to  introduce 
horses  from  Egypt,  i  Kgs.  10 :  28.  Cause  the  people  to  return 
to  Egypt.  Sending  merchants  there  to  bring  horses  or  allowing 
Israelite  slaves  to  be  sent  there  in  exchange  for  these  coveted 
animals.  We  do  not  know  where  the  prohibition  was  written, 
perhaps  in  a  book  or  part  of  a  book  that  has  been  lost.  For  dif- 
ferent feeling  as  to  Egypt,  see  23  :  7. 

17.  Reflects  the  evils  and  excesses  of  Solomon's  reign,  i  Kgs. 
II :  3-8;    I  Sam.  8. 

18.  In  the  remainder  of  the  passage  the  king  is  pictured  as  a 
scribe  and  student  of  the  law.  A  copy  of  this  law.  Gr.  translates 
erroneously  this  deuteronomion,  this  twofold  or  second  law,  hence 
the  name  of  the  present  book.  Here  we  have  the  beginnings  of 
the  scribal  activity  and  the  excessive  valuation  of  the  written  law 
which  marked  the  latest  period  of  Jewish  national  history.  The 
religion  of  the  book  brought  with  it  great  advantages,  but  there 
were  also  great  dangers.     When  the  worship  of  the  letter  reached 

139 


17:20  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

20.  them:  that  his  heart  be  not  Ufted  up  above  his 
brethren,  and  that  he  turn  not  aside  from  the  com- 
mandment, to  the  right  hand,  or  to  the  left:  to  the 
end  that  he  may  prolong  his  days  in  his  kingdom,  he 
and  his  children,  in  the  midst  of  Israel. 
D  18.  The  priests  the  Levites,  even  ^  all  the  tribe  of  Levi, 
shall  have  no  portion  nor  inheritance  with  Israel: 
they  shall  eat  the  offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by 

2.  fire,  and  his  inheritance.  And  they  shall  have  no 
inheritance  among  their  brethren:   the  Lord  is  their 

3.  inheritance,  as  he  hath  spoken  unto  them.  And  this 
shall  be  the  priests'  due  from  the  people,  from  them 
that  offer  a  sacrifice,  whether  it  be  ox  or  sheep,  that 

1 m.  and. 

its  height  the  scribes  pictured  God  himself  as  busy  with  the  study 
of  the  Law.  It  is  expected  that  the  king  by  constant  and  careful 
study  of  the  book  will  become  a  pattern  of  humility  and  strict 
obedience. 

18 :  1-8.  The  income  of  the  priests.  The  tribe  of  Levi  shall 
have  no  inheritance  in  Israel,  but  shall  live  upon  the  sacrificial 
gifts;  this  applies,  in  the  first  place,  to  the  priests  ofiiciating  at 
Jerusalem,  but  also  to  the  Levites  from  the  country  who  came  to 
settle  there.  In  JE  "priests"  and  "sons  of  Levi"  are  men- 
tioned, but  their  rights  and  duties  are  not  defined,  Exod.  19 :  22- 
24;  32  :  26-28;  in  P  they  are  the  subject  of  elaborate  regulations. 
This  passage,  in  harmony  with  the  popular  character  of  Deut., 
simply  sets  forth  what  the  people  owe  to  the  priests.  In  the 
Priestly  Code  the  revenues  are  different ;  in  Deut.  "  Levites  "  in- 
cludes all  members  of  the  tribe,  while  in  P  it  means  those  mem- 
bers who  are  not  priests.  Deut.,  however,  does  not  recognize 
"  the  sons  of  Aaron"  as  possessing  a  superior  and  exclusive  right 
in  contradistinction  to  other  "sons  of  Levi." 

1-2.  The  statement  appears  in  twofold  form.  The  priests 
are  to  have  no  territorial  possessions,  but  must  live  from  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  altar.  Yahweh's  fire-offerings  and  his  inheritance 
shall  they  eat.  Fire-offering  occurs  in  Josh.  13  :  14 ;  i  Sam.  2  :  28 ; 
and  62  times  in  P. 

3.  Perhaps  a  citation  from  an  older  law.  Cheeks  and  maw 
140 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

they  shall  give  unto  the  priest  the  shoulder,  and  the 

4.  two  cheeks,  and  the  maw.  The  firstfruits  of  thy 
corn,^  of  thy  wine,  and  of  thine  oil,  and  the  first  of 

5.  the  fleece  of  thy  sheep,  shalt  thou  give  him.  For  the 
Lord  thy  God  hath  chosen  him  out  of  all  thy  tribes, 
2  to  stand  to  minister  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  him 
and  his  sons  for  ever.^ 

6.  And  if  a  Levite  come  from  any  of  thy  gates  out  of 
all  Israel,  where  he  sojourneth,  and  come  with  all 
the  desire  of  his  soul  unto  the  place  which  the  Lord 

7.  shall  choose;  then  he  shall  minister  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord  his  God,  as  all  his  brethren  the  Levites  do, 

8.  which  stand  there  before  the  Lord.  They^  shall 
have  like  portions  to  eat,  beside  that  which  cometh 
of  the  sale  of  his  patrimony. 

*  SV  grain.        *  Sam.  Gr.  read  to  stand  before  Yakweh  thy  God,  to  minister  unto  him 
and  to  bless  in  his  name,  him  and  his  sons  among  the  children  of  Israel.        *  Sam.  Gr.  he. 

not  elsewhere  mentioned.  The  maw,  according  to  ancient  author- 
ities, was  the  fourth  stomach  of  ruminants;  it  was  considered 
a  delicacy  at  Athens.  P  prescribes  the  breast  and  the  right  thigh 
as  the  priests'  part  of  the  peace-ofiferings.  Compare  i  Sam.  2 : 
13-16. 

4.  See  Num.  18:12;  2  Chron.  31:5-  The  fourth  item  is 
mentioned  only  here.  The  offering  of  first  fruits  was  a  primitive 
and  widely  spread  custom;  God  must  first  have  his  share  in 
acknowledgment  of  his  goodness.  This  verse  seems  to  be  a 
repetition  of  14:  23. 

5.  The  Levites  have  a  right  to  their  support  because  they 
exercise  the  priestly  functions  as  stated  in  10 :  8. 

6-8.  These  verses  give  a  decision  on  the  important  question 
how  the  Levites  of  the  country  sanctuaries  are  to  be  pirovided  for 
when  those  sanctuaries  are  abolished.  If  they  come  willingly  to 
Jerusalem,  from  the  places  where  they  have  had  their  residence, 
they  shall  stand,  as  to  ministry  and  income,  on  the  same  footing 
as  their  brethren  of  the  central  sanctuary.  The  Levite  is  called 
a  sojourner  because  he  has  no  permanent  landed  property. 

8.  Brings  some  qualification,  but  it  is  obscure;  the  close  of 
the  verse,  besides  his  sellings  according  to  the  fathers,  does  not 

141 


i8:9  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

9.      When  thou  art  come  into  the  land  which  the  Lord 
thy  God  giveth  thee,  thou  shalt  not  learn  to  do  after 

10.  the  abominations  of  those  nations.  There  shall  not 
be  found  with  thee  any  one  that  maketh  his  son  or 
his  daughter  to  pass  through  the  fire,  one  that  useth 
divination,   one    that  practiseth  augury,   or  an  en- 

11.  chanter,  or  a  sorcerer,  or^  a  charmer,  or  a  consul ter 
with  a  famiUar  spirit,  or  a  wizard,  or  ^  a  necromancer. 

*  Sam.  Gr.  om.  or. 

convey  any  clear  information.  The  conjecture,  except  those  that 
were  idol-priests  and  conjurers  of  the  dead,  is  attractive,  but  not 
reliable.  The  writer  evidently  does  not  know  of  the  forty-eight 
cities  allotted  to  the  tribe  in  P,  Num.  35  :  1-8 ;  Josh.  21.  Human 
nature  being  what  it  is,  it  was  difficult  to  carry  out  this  humane 
provision ;  cf .  2  Kings  23  :  9 ;  i  Sam.  2  :  36.  Note  the  important 
statement,  "  And  I  perceived  that  the  portions  of  the  Levites  had 
not  been  given  them;  so  that  the  Levites  and  the  singers,  that 
did  the  work,  were  fled  every  one  to  his  field,"  Neh.  13  :  10. 

9-14.  Prohibition  of  various  forms  of  divination.  See  12:31; 
Exod.  22  :  18  (JE) ;  Lev.  18:21;   20 :  2-5  (H),  etc. 

10.  Maketh  ...  to  pass  through  the  fire,  i.e.  to  Molech,  a 
heathen  practice  often  denounced  in  the  O.  T.,  but  the  precise 
nature  and  object  of  the  sacrifice  is  not  clear ;  it  may  be  that  the 
child  was  slain  and  then  offered  as  a  burnt  offering  to  the  god,  Ezek. 
16  :  21.  In  this  connection  some  suppose  that  it  refers  to  a  kind  of 
ordeal,  in  which  an  omen  was  derived  from  the  observation  whether 
the  victim  passed  through  the  flames  unharmed  or  not.  Divi- 
nation, drawing  lots  by  means  of  headless  arrows  inscribed  with 
names,  Ezek.  21  :  21-22.  Augury,  another  species  of  divination, 
the  precise  form  of  which  is  not  known;  cf.  Lev.  19 :  26;  2  Kgs. 
21:6;  Mic.  5:  12.  Enchanter,  or  one  that  observeth  omens; 
by  means  of  a  cup  in  Gen.  44:5,  15.  See  also  Lev.  19:  26; 
2  Kgs.  17:  17.  After  these  three  terms  relating  to  divination 
we  have  two  referring  to  magic.  A  sorcerer,  AV  witch,  one 
who  seeks  to  influence  events  by  means  of  things  supposed  to 
have  magical  power;   cf.  Exod.  7  :  11 ;   Mic.  5:12. 

II.  Charmer.  One  who  ties  magic  knots  or  weaves  spells. 
Then  follow  three  terms  relating  to  the  various  modes  of  consult- 
ing the  world  of  spirits.  A  consulter  with  a  familiar  spirit,  or 
a  wizard.     Should  rather  be,  "  one  that  consulteth  a  ghost  or  a 

142 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  l8 

12.  For  whosoever  doeth  these  things  is  an  abomination 
unto  the  Lord  :  ^  and  because  of  these  abominations 
the  Lord  thy  God  doth  drive  them  out  from  before 

13.  thee.    Thou  shalt  be  perfect  with  the  Lord  thy  God.  Matt. 
For  these  nations,  which  ^  thou  shalt  possess,^  hearken 
unto  them  that  practise  augury,  and  unto  diviners: 

but  as  for  thee,  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  not  suffered 
thee  so  to  do. 
15.       The    Lord    thy  God  will  raise  up  unto    thee  a  Acts  3 
prophet  ^  from  the  midst  of  thee,  of  thy  brethren,'*  "' 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  add  thy  God.        ^  SV  that  instead  of  which  and  in  similar  cases, 
e.g.  V.  20,  etc.        '  SV  dispossess.        *  Sam.  Gr.  read  from  the  midst  oj  thy  brethren. 

familiar  spirit."  The  etymology  of  the  word  (ob)  here  trans- 
lated "  ghost  "  is  unknown ;  the  word  rendered  familiar  spirit 
seems  to  mean  knowing  one  or  the  one  known.  The  first  word  is 
nearly  always  represented  in  Gr.  by  ventriloquists,  referring  to 
the  fact  that  the  ghost  spoke  through  the  body  of  the  medium  in  a 
twittering  voice ;  cf.  i  Sam.  28:3  flf. ;  Isa.  8:19;  29:4.  The 
second  may  perhaps  be  understood  of  a  spirit  at  the  call  of  a 
particular  person,  Acts  16:16;  though  this  distinction  is  not  quite 
certain.  Necromancer,  lit.,  "  one  who  inquires  of  the  dead." 
It  is  not  certain  in  what  way  these  inquiries  were  made,  or  how 
this  particular  form  of  inquiry  differs  from  the  other  two.  These 
things  we  would  to-day  class  under  spiritualism,  hypnotism,  etc. ; 
in  some  cases  there  might  be  blind  faith,  but  there  was  liable 
to  be  much  trickery.  The  prophets  had  protested  vigorously 
against  meddling  with  this  dark  region  of  morbid  experience, 
Isa.  2:6;   Mic3:6;  Jer.  27:9;   29:8. 

12.  Such  things  and  the  persons  who  take  part  in  them  are 
repulsive  to  the  God  of  Israel,  12:31.  Because  of  these  very 
things  the  heathen  are  driven  out  to  make  way  for  a  healthier 
people  and  a  more  wholesome  life,  v.  14. 

13.  A  man  who  has  a  living,  whole-hearted  faith  in  God  will 
not  need  such  false  stimulant  and  support. 

15-22.  If  the  remainder  of  this  chapter  is  from  the  same  pen, 
then  the  connection  is  that  the  Israelites  do  not  need  to  seek  help 
in  such  questionable  quarters,  because  Yahweh  has  given  them 
true  prophets  to  answer  their  inquiries  and  guide  their  conduct. 
At  any  rate,  as  it  now  stands,  God's  gift  of  true  prophecy  to  Israel 
is  set  in  contrast  with  the  vain  magic  of  the  heathen. 

143 


7:37 


i8  :  i6  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

1 6.  like  unto  me ;  unto  him  ye  shall  hearken ;  according 
to  all  that  thou  desiredst  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in 
Horeb  in  the  day  of  the  assembly,  saying,  Let  me  not 
hear  again  the  voice  of  the  Lord  my  God,  neither  let 

17.  me  see  this  great  fire  any  more,  that  I  die  not.  And 
the  Lord  said  unto  me,  They  have  well  said  that 

Acts  3:22;  18.  which  they  have  spoken.  I  will  raise  them  up  a 
prophet  from  among  their  brethren,  like  unto  thee; 
and  I  will  put  my  words  in  his  mouth,  and  he  shall 

19.  speak  unto  them  all  that  I  shall  command  him.  And 
it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  whosoever  will  not  hearken 
unto  my^  words  which  he  shall  speak  in  my  name, 

20.  I  will  require  it  of  him.  But  the  prophet,  which  shall 
speak  a  word  presumptuously  in  my  name,  which  I 
have  not  commanded  him  to  speak,  or  that  shall 
speak  in  the  name  of  other  gods,  that  same  prophet 

21.  shall  die.    And  if  thou  say  in  thine  heart.  How  shall 

*  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  his  (words) ;  some  Gr.  Mss.  read  whatever  that  prophet  shall  speak 
in  my  name. 

15.  Like  unto  me  is  peculiar,  since  Moses  does  not  elsewhere 
in  the  Law  speak  in  his  own  person.  This  is  not  a  prediction  of 
one  particular  prophet,  but  it  means  that  a  prophet  will  be  pro- 
vided to  meet  the  needs  that  arise  from  time  to  time.  It  was 
natural  afterwards,  especially  when  prophecy  had  practically 
ceased,  to  apply  this  to  the  ideal  prophet  who  is  to  be  in  a  pre- 
eminent sense  that  which  Moses  was,  a  mediator  between  man 
and  God,  Jn.  6 :  14 ;  7  :  40 ;  Acts  3:22;  7:37. 

16-19.  As  the  people  at  Horeb  asked  that  Moses  should  act  as 
mediator  between  them  and  Yahweh,  and  the  request  was  well 
received,  so  after  the  death  of  Moses  the  same  principle  will 
apply  and  men  will  be  raised  up  to  bear  the  divine  word.  Such 
men  will  be  worthy  of  full  obedience  as  representatives  of  Yahweh, 
5:23-31. 

20.  But  there  are  two  classes  of  prophets  that  must  be  rejected 
and  punished,  first  those  who  arrogantly  speak  false  things  in  the 
name  of  Yahweh,  and,  second,  those  who  speak  in  the  name  of 
other  gods.     The  latter  have  already  been  dealt  with,  13:5. 

144 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


we  know  the  word  which  the  Lord  hath  not  spoken  ? 
22.  When  a  prophet  speaketh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
if  the  thing  follow  not,  nor  come  to  pass,  that  is  the 
thing  which  the  Lord  hath  not  spoken :  the  prophet 
hath  spoken  it  presumptuously,  thou^  shalt  not  be 
afraid  of  him. 

II.  A  Miscellaneous  Body  of  Laws  relating  to 
THE  Trial  of  Criminals,  War,  the  Family, 
ETC.;  19: 1-24:4 

19.  When  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  cut  off  the  nations, 
whose  land  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee,  and  thou 

*  Gr.  ye. 

21.  The  question  then  arises  how  can  the  false  prophet  be 
recognized,  that  is,  one  who  professes  to  be  a  messenger  of  Israel's 
God,  but  brings  a  false  message?  There  are  frequent  references 
in  Jer.  and  Ezek.  to  false  prophets  who  delivered  popular  and 
delusive  messages. 

22.  If  a  man  utters  a  prediction  in  the  name  of  Yahweh  and  it 
does  not  come  to  pass,  then  it  may  be  inferred  that  he  is  a  false 
prophet  and  there  is  no  need  to  give  him  any  reverence ;  he  may 
be  punished  as  a  discredited  messenger.  Compare  with  this 
Jer.  18  :  7-10  and  the  picture  of  Jonah  waiting  for  the  fulfilment 
of  his  prediction.  This,  of  course,  is  a  very  external  test  which 
can  only  apply  either  to  prophets  of  the  past  or  events  of  the  im- 
mediate future.  A  comparison  with  Chap.  13  seems  to  show 
that  Yahweh  does  not  hinder  wonders  being  wrought  in  the  name 
of  other  gods,  but  will  not  allow  his  own  name  to  be  misused. 
External  tests  of  this  kind  are  very  difficult  to  apply  to  real  life ; 
living  prophecy  is  a  much  larger  thing  than  mechanical  prediction. 

It  is  difficult  to  find  any  one  clear  principle  binding  together  this 
section  of  the  legislation.  The  question  of  the  origin  of  the  laws, 
as  here  arranged,  is  a  complex  one,  seeing  that  D  probably  placed 
side  by  side  laws  already  in  existence  and  that  his  work  may  have 
been  revised  and  enlarged. 

1.  Law  concerning  the  Cities  of  Refuge;  19:  1-13 

1-13.  In  ancient  times  altars,  temples,  and  sacred  places  were 
"  .sanctuaries,"  in  the  sense  that  a  criminal  or  accused  person  could 

L  145 


19:2  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

succeedest  them,  and  dwellest  in  their  cities,  and  in 

2.  their  houses;  thou  shalt  separate^  three  cities  for 
thee  in  the  midst  of  thy  land,  which  the  Lord  thy  God 

3.  giveth  thee  to  possess  it.  Thou  shalt  prepare  thee 
the  way,  and  divide  the  borders  of  thy  land,  which  the 
Lord  thy  God  causeth  thee  to  inherit,  into  three  parts, 

4.  that  every  manslayer  may  flee  thither.  And  this  is 
the  case  of  the  manslayer,  which  shall  flee  thither  and 
live :  whoso  killeth  his  neighbour  imawares,  and  hated 

5.  him  not  in  time  past ;  as  when  a  man  goeth  into  the 

1 SV  set  apart,  and  in  v.  7  and  elsewhere  for  separate. 

flee  there  for  refuge,  i  Kgs.  i:  50;  2:  28;  Exod.  21:  13.  The 
stern  law  of  blood  revenge  made  such  asylums  necessary  for  the 
protection  of  the  innocent  manslayer ;  cf .  Gen.  9 :  6.  When  an 
attempt  was  made  to  carry  out  the  Deuteronomic  law  of  one  cen- 
tral sanctuary,  provision  had  to  be  made  for  meeting  this  need, 
after  the  local  sanctuaries  had  lost  their  sacred  character.  There 
are  various  references  to  this  subject  in  the  documents.  The 
order  of  these  statements  may  have  been  in  the  following  manner, 
though  we  must  remember  that  on  such  a  question  absolute  cer- 
tainty cannot  be  reached:  (i)  Demand  for  these  cities  of  refuge 
by  D  as  a  result  of  the  law  of  centralization,  Deut.  19:  1-7; 
11-13.  (2)  Moses  is  represented  as  setting  an  example,  to  some 
extent,  of  the  fulfilment  of  this  law,  Deut.  4  :  41-43  (R).  (3)  This 
leads  a  later  editor  to  state  that  six  will  probably  be  required, 
Deut.  19 :  8-10.  (4)  Six  cities  are  definitely  demanded,  three  on 
each  side  of  the  Jordan,  Num.  35  (P).  (5)  Joshua  appoints  the 
six  cities  of  refuge,  the  names  being  those  of  places  where  ancient 
sanctuaries  were  situated.  Josh.  20  (P). 

1.  Simple  statement  of  the  time  when  the  law  is  to  come  into 
force,  cf.  12  :  29. 

2.  The  term  "  Cities  of  Refuge  "  has  its  origin,  not  in  Deut., 
but  in  Num.  35  :  11  (P) ;   compare  Josh.  20 :  7  ff. 

3.  The  land  is  to  be  divided  into  three  parts  so  that  each  city 
is  to  form  the  centre  of  a  district  and  is  to  be  made  easily  acces- 
sible. The  writer  of  this  evidently  has  in  view  a  comparatively 
small  range  of  country. 

4.  Unawares,  lit.,  without  knowing,  i.e.  without  intention.  He 
had  no  motive,  no  desire,  to  injure  his  companion. 

5.  An  illustration  of  the  manner  in  which  such  a  thing  could 

146 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


19 


forest  with  his  neighbour  to  hew  wood,  and  his  hand 
fetcheth  a  stroke  with  the  axe  to  cut  down  the  tree, 
and  the  head  ^  slippeth  from  the  helve,^  and  Ughtetli 
upon  his  neighbour,  ^that  he  die;  he  shall  flee  unto 

6.  one  of  these  cities  and  Uve :  lest  the  avenger  of  blood 
pursue  the  manslayer,  while  his  heart  is  hot,  and 
overtake  him,  because  the  way  is  long,  and  smite  him 
mortally;  whereas  he  was  not  worthy  of  death,  inas- 

7.  much  as  he  hated  him  not  in  time  past.  Wherefore  I 
command  thee,   saying,  Thou  shalt  separate  three 

8.  cities  for  thee.  And  if  the  Lord  thy  God  enlarge  thy 
border,  as  he  hath  sworn  unto  thy  fathers,  and  give 
thee  all  the  land  which  he  promised  to  give  unto  thy 

9.  fathers ;  if  thou  shalt  keep  all  this  commandment  to 
do  it,  which  I  command  thee  this  day,  to  love  the  Lord 
thy  God,  and  to  walk  ever  in  his  ways ;  then  shalt  thou 
add  three  cities  more  for  thee,  beside  these  three: 

10.  that  ^  innocent  blood  ^  be  not  shed  in  the  midst  of  thy 

1  m.  Heb.  iron.  *  m.  the  tree.  » SV  so  that  he  dieth.  <  m.  the  blood  of  an 
innocent  man. 

happen.  Not  an  imaginary  case  merely ;  such  accidents  suggested 
the  need  for  such  a  law.  With  our  well-ordered  courts  dealing 
deliberately  with  all  possible  cases  we  do  not  realize  how  slowly  the 
customs  which  safeguard  public  and  private  interests  have  come 
into  being. 

6.  Blood  that  is  shed  wrongfully  demands  vengeance,  Gen. 
4:  10.  The  nearest  of  kin  is  the  avenger  of  blood,  the  one  who 
in  this  case  enforces  the  claim  of  justice ;  cf.  2  Sam.  14  :  11 ;  Num. 
35 :  19.  The  avenger  of  blood  is  here  regarded  as  an  essential 
part  of  the  social  order,  but  it  is  felt  that  his  duty  should  be  exer- 
cised with  due  deliberation. 

8-10.  TKese  verses,  in  the  style  and  spirit  of  Deut.,  ex- 
press the  idea  that  in  the  case  of  an  increase  of  territory,  as  a 
reward  of  obedience,  three  more  cities  may  be  needed.  If  4 :  41- 
43  and  the  whole  of  this  chapter  came  from  the  same  pen,  it  would 
mean  that  nine  cities  might  be  necessary,  three  on  the  east  and 
six  on  the  west  side  of  the  Jordan. 

147 


I9:ii  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

land,  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee  for  an  in- 

11.  heritance,  and  so  blood  be  upon  thee.  But  if  any  man 
hate  his  neighbour,  and  He  in  wait  for  him,  and  rise  up 
against  him,  and  smite  him  mortally  that  he  die ;  and 

12.  he  flee  into  one  of  these  cities:  then  the  elders  of  his 
city  shall  send  and  fetch  him  thence,  and  deUver  him 
into  the  hand  of  the  avenger  of  blood,  that  he  may  die. 
Thine  eye  shall  not  pity  him,  but  thou   shalt  put 

13.  away  ^  the  innocent  blood  ^  from  Israel,  that  it  may  go 
well  with  thee. 

14.  Thou  shalt  not  remove  thy  neighbour's  landmark, 
which  they  of  old  time  have  set,  in  thine  inheritance 

1  m.  the  blood  of  the  innocent  (Sam.  the  innocent  blood). 

10.  The  guilt  of  the  innocent  blood  shed  in  hasty  zeal  by  the 
avenger  of  blood  would  be  shared  by  the  tribe  or  community  to 
which  he  belonged. 

11-13.  See  Exod.  21:  14  and  Num.  35.  The  wilful  murderer 
must  surely  die.  The  elders  of  the  city  in  which  he  has  taken 
refuge  must  hand  him  over  so  that  the  avenger  of  blood  may 
inflict  the  punishment;  private  revenge  has  begun  to  pass  over 
into  public  justice,  but  the  process  is  not  complete.  This  is  to  be 
recognized  a  little  more  clearly  in  P,  where  we  read  "  the  congre- 
gation shall  judge  between  the  smiter  and  the  avenger  of  blood," 
Num.  35  :  24.  Elders  are  often  mentioned  in  the  O.  T.  as  the 
representatives  of  the  people.  They  constitute  a  sort  of  local 
authority  and  transact  public  business.  They  are  named  in 
Deut.  21,  22,  25,  as  invested  with  judicial  functions.  Their  rela- 
tionship to  the  judges  (16 :  18)  is  not  clear. 

13.  Hebrew  law  did  not  allow  the  payment  of  a  fine  or  of  blood 
money  in  case  of  murder ;  only  blood  could  atone  for  blood. 

2.  Law  of  the  Boundary;  19:14 

14.  A  neighbor's  landmark  must  not  be  removed.  This  is  an 
ancient  and  widely  spread  law;  among  the  Greeks  and  Romans 
boundaries  were  sacred,  protected  by  the  gods.  That  such  a  law 
was  needed  is  shown  by  the  protests  of  the  prophets ;  Isa.  5:8; 
Hos.  5 :  10.  They  of  old  time,  i.e.  the  ancestors  of  the  Israelite 
peasants.  This  phrase  is  written  from  the  standpoint  of  one 
dwelling  in  Canaan. 

148 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


19 


which  thou  shalt  inherit,  in  the  land  that  the  Lord  thy 
God  giveth  thee  to  possess  it. 

15.  One  witness  shall  not  rise  up  against  a  man  for  any  Matt.  i8: 16 
iniquity,  or  for  any  sin,  in  any  sin  that  he  sinneth:  i^ka'^V/ 
at  the  mouth  of  two  witnesses,  or  at  the  mouth  of  three 

1 6 .  witnesses,  shall  a  matter  be  estabHshed.  ^  If  an  unright- 
eous witness  rise  up  against  any  man  to  testify  against 

17.  him  of  wrong  doing  ;2  then  both  the  men,  between 
whom  the  controversy  is,  shall  stand  before  the  Lord, 
before  the  priests  and  the  judges  which  shall  be  in  those 

18.  days  ;  and  the  judges  shall  make  diligent  inquisition : 
and,  behold,  if  the  witness  be  a  false  witness,  and  hath 

19.  testified  falsely  against  his  brother ;  then  shall  ye  do 
unto  him,  as  he  had  thought  to  do  unto  his  brother : 
so  shalt  thou  put  away  the  evil  from  the  midst  of  thee. 

20.  And  those  which  remain  shall  hear,  and  fear,  and  shall 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  and  (if).        *  m.  rebellion. 

3.  The  Law  of  Witnesses;  19 :  15-21 

15-21.  No  one  is  to  be  condemned  by  the  judge  on  the  evidence 
of  one  witness ;  a  false  witness  shall  suffer  the  punishment  which 
he  sought  to  bring  upon  the  accused  person.  It  is  possible  that 
in  1 7  :  8  ff .,  where  it  deals  with  the  court  of  appeal  in  Jerusalem,  it 
should  be  "  priests  "  alone,  and  here,  where  it  is  a  tribunal  in  a 
provincial  town,  "  judges  "  alone. 

15.  Two  or  three  witnesses  are  absolutely  necessary,  not  only 
in  the  case  of  capital  charges,  17:6;  Num.  35  :  30;  but  also  as  a 
general  principle  of  criminal  law. 

16.  Wrong  doing.  The  original  word  is  used  elsewhere  of 
religious  apostasy,  13  :  5,  "  he  hath  spoken  rebellion  " ;  here  it  has 
a  more  general  reference. 

17.  This  verse  may  have  read  originally,  Then  the  two  men  who 
have  the  dispute  shall  stand  before  the  judges.     See  next  verse. 

19.  The  perjurer  shall  receive  the  punishment  which  he  in- 
tended to  bring  upon  his  brother. 

20.  The  deterrent  effect  of  swift,  severe  punishment  is  often  set 
forth  in  terse,  vigorous  language. 

149 


19:21  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

henceforth  commit  no  more  any  such  evil  in  the  midst 

21.  of  thee.    And ^  thine  eye  shall  not  pity;  Hie  shall  go 

for  life,  eye  for  eye,  tooth  for  tooth,  hand  for  hand, 

foot  for  foot. 

D  20.       When   thou   goest   forth   to  battle  against  thine 

enemies,^    and    seest    horses,   and    chariots,    and    a 

people  more  than  thou,  thou  shalt  not  be  afraid  of 

them:    for  the  Lord  thy  God  is  with  thee,  which 

D^     2.  brought  thee  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt.    And  it 

shall  be,  when  ye  draw  nigh  unto  the  battle,  that  the 

3.  priest  shall  approach  and  speak  unto  the  people,  and 

shall  say  unto  them.  Hear,  O  Israel,  ye  draw  nigh  this 

*  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  om.  and.        *  So  read  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  Vg.,  Heb.  enemy  (sing.). 

21.  The  famous  lex  talionis,  like  for  like.  In  a  different  con- 
nection, cf.  Exod.  21:  24  (JE) ;  Lev.  24:  18-20  (H).  Similarly 
in  the  Code  of  Hammurabi:  "  If  a  man  has  borne  false  witness  in  a 
trial,  or  has  not  established  the  statement  he  has  made,  if  that 
case  be  a  capital  trial,  that  man  shall  be  put  to  death.  If  he  has 
borne  witness  in  a  civil  suit,  he  shall  pay  the  damages  in  that  suit." 

4.  Laws  relating  to  the  Conduct  of  War;  Chap.  20 

These  laws  are  peculiar  to  Deut. ;  they  breathe  the  humane 
spirit  which  is  characteristic  of  so  many  parts  of  the  book; 
while  not  furnishing  a  complete  set  of  rules  for  war,  they 
aim  to  soften  some  of  its  harsher  features.  See  Amos  1:3;  Hos. 
13  :  16 ;  2  Sam.  8:2;  12:31.  The  original  place  of  this  section 
may  have  been  immediately  after  21:9;  while  21 :  1-9  goes  well 
with  Chap.  19. 

I.  In  the  hour  of  battle  the  Israelites  must  rely  upon  the  God 
who  has  helped  them  so  gloriously  in  the  past;  this  is  a  noble 
faith,  but  may  lead  to  disaster,  if  acted  upon  hastily  and  in  an 
unintelligent  manner ;  cf .  2  Kgs.  23 :  29.  They  were  afraid  of 
cavalry,  which  was  the  great  strength  of  the  Egyptian  and 
Assyrian  armies. 

2-4.  A  duplication  of  v.  i,  in  the  plural,  with  mention  of  the 
priest.  It  is  strange  that  nothing  is  said  about  the  king,  who  was 
the  natural  leader  in  time  of  war,  if  these  verses  come  from  a  time 
when  there  was  a  king.    Priests  would  be  in  attendance  upon  the 

ISO 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  20 

day  unto  battle  against  your  enemies:  let  not  your 
heart  faint;  fear  not,  nor  tremble,  neither  be  ye  af- 
frighted at  them ;  for  the  Lord  your  God  is  he  that 
goeth  with  you,  to  fight  for  you  against  your  enemies, 
to  save  you. 

And  the  officers  shall  speak  unto  the  people,  saying,  D 
What  man  is  there  that  hath  built  a  new  house,  and 
hath  not  dedicated  it  ?  let  him  go  and  return  to  his 
house,  lest  he  die  in  the  battle,  and  another  man  dedi- 
cate it.  And  what  man  is  there  that  hath  planted  a 
vineyard,  and  hath  not  used  the  fruit  thereof?  let 
him  go  and  return  unto  his  house,  lest  he  die  in  the 
battle,  and  another  man  use  the  fruit  thereof.  And 
what  man  is  there  that  hath  betrothed  a  wife,  and 
hath  not  taken  her?  let  him  go  and  return  unto  his 


army  to  offer  sacrifices  and  consult  the  oracle ;  cf .  i  Sam.  4:4; 
2  Sam.  11:  II.  Note  the  phrase,  "  Prepare  (lit.,  consecrate)  ye 
war,"  etc.,  Jer.  6:4;  Mic.  3 :  5. 

5-7.  Certain  classes  of  men  are  to  be  allowed  to  go  home  before 
the  war  begins.  It  may  be,  as  has  been  suggested,  that  the  form 
of  this  law  was  in  the  remote  past  influenced  by  the  polytheistic 
conceptions  of  ancient  peoples,  according  to  which  each  important 
sphere  of  human  life  had  its  own  god  or  demon.  Thus  particular 
transactions,  as  the  building  of  a  house  or  planting  of  a  vineyard, 
were  under  a  special  deity,  whose  good  offices  were  secured  by 
sacrifices  and  dedication  services.  The  influence  of  such  concep- 
tions lingered  long,  but  they  were  probably  not  present  to  the  mind 
of  this  writer;  he  uses  these  laws  to  express  the  growing  sense  of 
the  consideration  demanded  by  the  individual  life.  Of  course, 
in  times  of  tremendous  strain,  all  such  considerations  would  have 
to  give  way  under  the  pressure  of  stern  necessity. 

5.  Oflicers,  subordinate  ofiicials,  as  in  1:15.  This  is  the  only 
place  where  the  dedication  of  a  private  house  is  mentioned. 
See  Num.  7:10;    i  Kgs.  8  :  63  ;   Dan.  3  :  2-3. 

6.  Used  the  fruit  thereof,  lit.,  not  profaned  it.  The  first  product 
of  the  vines  had  to  be  treated  as  sacred,  Lev.  19  :  23-25. 

7.  If  possible,  the  calamity  of  a  man  dying  without  an  heir 
must  be  avoided.    Chap.  24  :  5  goes  still  further  in  this  direction. 

151 


20  :  8  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

house,  lest  he  die  in  the  battle,  and  another  man  take 

8.  her.  And  the  officers  shall  speak  further  unto  the 
people,  and  they  shall  say,  What  man  is  there  that  is 
fearful  and  fainthearted  ?  let  him  go  and  return  unto 
his  house,  lest  his  brethren's  heart  melt  as  his  heart. 

9.  And  it  shall  be,  when  the  officers  have  made  an  end 
of  speaking  unto  the  people,  that  they  shall  appoint 
captains  of  hosts  at  the  head  of  the  people. 

10.  When  thou  drawest  nigh  unto  a  city  to  fight  against 

11.  it,  then  proclaim  peace  unto  it.  And  it  shall  be,  if  it 
make  thee  answer  of  peace,  and  open  unto  thee,  then  it 
shall  be,  that  all  the  people  that  is^  found  therein 
shall  become  tributary  ^  unto  thee,  and  shall  serve  thee. 

12.  And  if  it  will  make  no  peace  with  thee,  but  will  make 

13.  war  against  thee,  then  thou  shalt  besiege  it:  and  when 
the  Lord  thy  God  delivereth  it  into  thine  hand,  thou 
shalt  smite  every  male  thereof  with  the  edge  of  the 

»  SV  are.       >  m.  subject  to  task-work. 

8.  For  the  dismissal  of  the  fainthearted,  see  Judges  7 :  3. 
I  Mace.  3  :  56  gives  this  interesting  parallel :  "  And  he  said  unto 
them  that  were  building  houses,  or  had  betrothed  wives,  or  were 
planting  vineyards,  or  were  fearful,  that  they  should  return  every 
man  to  his  house,  according  to  the  Law." 

9.  The  subject  of  they  is  indefinite,  hence  it  is  not  clear  by  whom 
the  ofl&cers  were  to  be  appointed. 

10-20.  The  manner  in  which  besieged  cities  are  to  be  treated. 

10.  In  the  first  place  the  city  must  be  invited  to  a  peaceable 
surrender. 

11.  If  the  city  thus  peaceably  surrenders  and  opens  its  gates 
to  the  invading  army,  its  inhabitants  shall  become  tributary  or, 
better,  with  RV  marg.,  "subject  to  task-work'';  cf.  Josh.  16:  10; 
I  Kgs.  9:21. 

13-14.  If  the  city  is  conquered  after  stubborn  resistance,  then 
all  the  male  inhabitants  must  be  killed,  but  the  women,  children, 
and  substance  may  be  saved  and  appropriated.  This  is  a  modi- 
fication of  the  "  ban,"  v.  16 ;  13  :  15-16 ;  and  it  is  a  milder  form 
of  war  than  was  common  in  those  days;  cf.  Amos  i :  13;  Hos. 

152 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


14.  sword:  but  the  women,  and  the  little  ones,  and  the 
cattle,  and  all  that  is  in  the  city,  even  all  the  spoil 
thereof,  shalt  thou  take  for  a  prey  unto  thyself ;  and 
thou  shalt  eat  the  spoil  of  thine  enemies,  which  the 

15.  Lord  thy  God  hath  given  thee.  Thus  shalt  thou  do 
unto  all  the  cities  which  are  very  far  off  from  thee, 

16.  which  are  not  of  the  cities  of  these  nations.  But  of 
the  cities  of  these  peoples,  which  the  Lord  thy  God 
giveth  thee  for  an  inheritance,  thou  shalt  save  aUve 

17.  nothing  that  breatheth;  but  thou  shalt  utterly  de- 
stroy ^  them;  the  Hittite,  and  the  Amorite,^  the 
Canaanite,  and  the  Perizzite,^  the  Hivite,  and  the 
Jebusite;   as  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  commanded 

18.  thee:  that  they  teach  you  not  to  do  after  all  their 
abominations,  which  they  have  done  unto  their  gods ; 
so  should^  ye  sin  against  the  Lord  your  God. 

19.  When  thou  shalt  besiege  a  city  a  long  time,  in  mak- 
ing war  against  it  to  take  it,  thou  shalt  not  destroy 

1  m.  Heb.  devote.  2  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  add  and.  »  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  Vg.  add  and. 
«  SV  would. 

13: 16 ;  even  much  milder  than  the  close  of  a  long  siege  in  so-called 
Christian  countries  two  or  three  centuries  ago.  This  is  what  we 
might  expect  from  the  humane  spirit,  which  in  many  respects 
pervades  this  book,  but  we  must  note  also  that  one  reason  here 
is  that  it  is  no  use  destroying  useful  lives  and  good  material  where 
there  is  no  danger  on  the  side  of  religion.     Compare  i  Sam.  15  :  9. 

16.  Where  the  cities  are  nearer,  and  there  is  danger  of  contami- 
nation in  the  sphere  of  religion,  there  the  ban  or  devotion  must  be 
carried  out  in  all  its  rigor.  The  religious  reason  is  supreme; 
there  is  no  idea  of  a  missionary  campaign  in  distant  places  by  the 
power  of  the  sword,  but  in  their  own  territory  the  struggle  for  a 
simpler,  nobler  religion  is  to  be  carried  on  with  fierce,  uncom- 
promising zeal.  Nothing  that  breatheth,  lit.,  any  breath,  Josh. 
10:  40;    II :  II,  i.e.  all  human  beings;  cf.  Josh.  11 :  14. 

19.  It  is  reasonable  to  fight  against  men  who  are  enemies  of  the 
nation,  but  not  against  trees  that  may  yield  nourishment.  Sever- 
ity against  men  or  things  is  only  justified  when  there  is  a  powerful 

IS3 


20  :  20  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

the  trees  thereof  by  wielding  an  axe  against  them; 

for  thou  mayest  eat  of  them,  and  thou  shalt  not  cut 

them  down ;   for  is  the  tree  of  the  field  man,  that  it 

20.   should  be  besieged  of  thee?    Only  the  trees  which 

thou  knowest  that  they  be  not  trees  for  meat,^  thou 

shalt  destroy  and  cut  them  down;   and  thou  shalt 

build  bulwarks  against  the  city  that  maketh  war  with 

thee,  until  it  fall. 

D  21.       If  one  be  found  slain  in  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy 

God  giveth  thee  to  possess  it,  lying  in  the  field,  and  it  be 

2.  not  known  who  hath  smitten  him:  then  thy  elders  and 

1  SWfood. 

reason.  Compare  this  with  the  command  of  the  prophet  Elisha, 
2  Kgs.  3:19.  By  all  means  cut  down  wood  for  siege- works, 
Mic.  5:1;  Ezek.  4 :  2,  but  do  not  indulge  in  wanton,  wasteful 
destruction.  This  kind  of  destruction  in  times  of  war  was  com- 
mon among  ancient  nations,  Semites  and  Greeks.  We  have  here  a 
spirit  of  humanity  struggling  against  national  and  religious  limi- 
tations. 

5.  Expiation  for  a  Murder  committed  by  an  Unknown  Hand; 
2 1 :  1-9 

1-9.  When  the  body  of  a  murdered  man  is  found  in  the  field 
and  it  is  not  known  who  did  the  deed,  the  responsibility  shall  rest 
upon  the  nearest  city,  and  its  elders  shall  make  expiation  by  means 
of  a  symbolic  rite.  This  law  is  found  only  here.  Similar  laws 
are  met  with  among  other  Semitic  tribes;  they  spring  from  the 
endeavor  to  meet  the  demands  of  justice  and  prevent  blood- 
feuds.  It  is  well  to  note  that  the  origin  and  transmission  of  such 
laws  in  oral  and  written  form  through  many  centuries  is  a  com- 
plicated process.  For  example,  to  take  only  one  point.  As  the 
law  now  stands,  the  killing  of  the  heifer  is  not  exactly  a  sacrifice ; 
the  priests  who  come  upon  the  scene  in  v.  5  have  no  part  in  it, 
but  it  is  highly  probable  from  vs.  4  and  5  that  it  was  originally  a 
sacrificial  procedure,  the  sacrifice  being  ofifered  to  appease  the 
spirit  of  the  dead ;  and  while  the  present  legislator  may  not  have 
had  that  in  mind,  the  post-Exilic  editor  who  inserted  v.  s  regarded 
it  as  a  sacrificial  ceremony  requiring  the  presence  of  priests. 

2.  Thy  elders ;  perhaps  this  phrase  has  come  in  from  the  follow- 

154 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  21 

thy  judges  shall  come  forth,  and  they  shall  measure 
unto  the  cities  which  are  round  about  him  that  is  slain: 

3.  and  it  shall  be,  that  the  city  which  is  nearest  unto  the 
slain  man,  even  the  elders  of  that  city  shall  take  an  ^ 
heifer  of  the  herd,  which  hath  not  been  wrought  with, 

4.  and^  which  hath  not  drawn  in  the  yoke;  and  the 
elders  of  that  city  shall  bring  down  the  heifer  unto  a 
valley  with  running  water,  which  is  neither  plowed  nor 
sown,  and  shall  break  the  heifer's  neck  there  in  the 

5.  valley:   and  the  priests  the  sons  of  Levi  shall  come  D* 
near;    for  them  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  chosen  to 
minister  unto  him,  and  to  bless  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord;   and  according  to  their  word  shall  every  con- 

6.  troversy  and  every  stroke  be:  and  all  the  elders  of  that  D 
city,  who  are  nearest  unto  the  slain  man,  shall  wash 
their  hands  over  the  heifer  whose  neck  was  broken  in 

7.  the  valley:  and  they  shall  answer  and  say.  Our  hands 
have  not  shed  this  blood,  neither  have  our  eyes  seen  it. 

1  SV  a  for  an,  and  in  similar  cases  elsewhere.  *  So  read  Sam.  Gr,  S3T.,  Heb. 
om.  and. 

ing  verse ;  the  judges  decide  the  case,  then  the  elders,  representing 
the  community,  perform  the  ceremony. 

3.  It  seems  natural  that  the  nearest  city  should  be  involved; 
there  may,  however,  be  a  survival  of  the  thought  that  the  influence 
of  the  departed  spirit  was  of  limited  extent. 

4.  All  the  circumstances  point  to  a  sacred  place  and  a  sacrificial 
act ;  cf .  Num.  19:2.  Neither  the  place  nor  the  animal  have  been 
appropriated  to  any  profane  use.  The  blood  will  either  be  ab- 
sorbed in  the  earth  or  carried  away  by  the  running  water. 

5.  The  priests  of  the  central  sanctuary  can  scarcely  be  meant,  as 
the  scene  might  be  transacted  at  a  considerable  distance  from 
Jerusalem ;  if  the  verse  is  not  secondary,  it  must  mean  members  of 
the  priestly  tribe  resident  in  the  neighborhood  ;  cf.  18:6. 

6.  For  washing  of  hands  as  a  symbol  of  innocence,  see  Matt. 
27  :  24 ;   compare  Ps.  73  :  13. 

7.  They  shall  answer,  i.e.  respond,  in  a  liturgical  sense,  declar- 
ing that  they  have  no  knowledge  of  the  murder. 


21  : 8  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

8.  Forgive,  O  Lord,  thy  people  Israel,  whom  thou  hast 
redeemed,  and  suffer  not  innocent  blood  to  remain  in 
the  midst  of  thy  people  Israel.    And  the  blood  shall 

9.  be  forgiven  them.  So  shalt  thou  put  away  the  inno- 
cent blood  from  the  midst  of  thee,  when  thou  shalt  do 
that  which  is  right  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord. 

10.  When  thou  goest  forth  to  battle  against  thine  ene- 
mies, and  the  Lord  thy  God  delivereth  them  into 
thine  ^  hands,  and  thou  earnest  them  away  captive, 

11.  and  seest  among  the  captives  ^  a  beautiful  woman,  and 
thou  hast  a  desire  unto  her,  and  wouldest  take  her  ^  to 

1  SV  thy  for  thine,  and  in  all  similar  cases.  »  Sam,  his  captives.  »  So  Sam., 
Heb.  om.  her. 

8.  Forgive,  better  clear  thy  people,  the  term  meaning  originally 
to  cover  or  wipe  of.  It  is  desired  that  the  sin  should  be  cancelled 
or  blotted  out.  In  the  O.  T.  generally  the  word  is  used  with  God 
as  subject ;  cf.  32  :  43 ;  Jer.  18 :  23 ;  in  P  mostly  of  the  priest  per- 
forming an  atoning  ceremony. 

9.  Until  vengeance  is  taken  or  expiation  made,  the  blood  that 
has  been  shed  clings  to  the  earth  and  defiles  it  and  cries  to  heaven, 
Gen.  4:  10, 

From  21 :  10  to  the  end  of  the  legislative  section  of  the  book  we 
have  a  miscellaneous  collection  of  laws ;  many  of  them  are  small, 
detached  pieces,  and  it  is  diflScult  to  find  any  unifying  principle 
running  through  them. 

6.    The  Marriage  of  a  Woman  taken  Captive  in  War;  21 :  10-14 

The  Israelite  who  wishes  to  contract  such  a  marriage  must 
jjring  the  woman  to  his  home  and  allow  her  to  spend  one  month 
in  mourning  for  her  parents.  After  the  marriage  he  cannot  treat 
her  as  a  slave,  but  must,  in  case  he  is  dissatisfied  with  her,  give 
her  full  freedom.  This  may  not  seem  very  humane  to  us,  but  it 
is  distinctly  so,  in  contrast  to  the  barbarous  practices  in  those 
ancient  times.  This  law  is  peculiar  to  Deut,,  and  it  seems  to 
go  against  its  spirit,  which  is  opposed  to  intermarriage  with 
foreigners,  7:3.  This  is  explained  by  saying  that  the  regulation 
applies  to  distant  foreigners  and  not  to  the  Canaanites ;  the  more 
probable  explanation  is  that  the  force  of  old  custom  still  asserts 
itself  in  these  laws. 

156 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


12.  thee  to  wife ;  then  thou  shalt  bring  her  home  to  thine 
house;   and  she  shall  shave  her  head,  and  pare  her 

13.  nails;  and  she  shall  put  the  raiment  of  her  captivity 
from  off  her,  and  shall  remain  in  thine  house,  and  be- 
wail her  father  and  her  mother  a  full  month :  and  after 
that  thou  shalt  go  in  unto  her,  and  be  her  husband,  and 

14.  she  shall  be  thy  wife.  And  it  shall  be,  if  thou  have  no 
delight  in  her,  then  thou  shalt  let  her  go  whither  she 
will ;  but  thou  shalt  not  sell  her  at  all  for  money,  thou 
shalt  not  deal  with  her  as  a  slave,^  because  thou  hast 
humbled  her. 

15.  If  a  man  have  two  wives,  the  one  beloved,  and  the 
other  hated,  and  they  have  borne  him  children,  both 
the  beloved  and  the  hated ;  and  if  the  firstborn  son  be 

^  m.  as  a  chattel. 

12.  Pare,  lit.,  make,  i.e.  put  into  proper  form;  as  the  hair  is 
not  allowed  to  grow,  probably  the  same  applied  to  the  nails ;  cf . 
2  Sam.  19  :  24,  trimmed,  of  the  beard.  In  ancient  Arabia  a  widow 
spent  a  year  in  seclusion,  taking  no  care  of  her  person,  and  at  the 
close  would  pare  her  nails,  etc. ;  see  Chap.  14. 

13.  She  changes  the  garments  in  which  she  was  taken  captive, 
for  mourning  garments.  For  the  widow  dwelling  in  the  house, 
see  Gen.  38:  11.  The  usual  mourning  period  was  seven  days,  in 
special  cases  a  month ;  cf .  34  :  8 ;  Num.  20  :  29. 

14.  By  marrying  her  he  has  taken  her  out  of  the  category  of 
slaves,  so  while  he  can  divorce  her,  he  must  not  sell  her,  Exod. 
21:8.  Deal  with  her  as  a  slave.  The  meaning  of  the  original 
word  is  uncertain;  perhaps,  to  act  in  a  despotic  or  arbitrary 
manner.  The  Hebrew  had  the  right  to  divorce  his  wife,  except 
in  special  cases  where  he  is  supposed  to  have  forfeited  that  privi- 
lege. The  Babylonian  code  makes  similar  provision  for  female 
slaves  that  have  borne  children  to  their  master,  and  decrees  that 
he  shall  give  support  for  the  children. 

7.   The  Right  of  the  Eldest  Son  to  a  Double  Portion  is  to  be  Main- 
tained; 21 :  15-17 

15-17.  The  rule  in  early  times  was  that  the  property  passed  to 
the  male  heirs  who  were  under  obligation  to  support  the  mother 


21  :  i6  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

i6.  hers  that  was  hated ;  then  it  shall  be,  in  the  day  that 
he  causeth  his  sons  to  inherit  that  which  he  hath,  that 
he  may  not  make  the  son  of  the  beloved  the  firstborn 
before  ^  the  son  of  the  hated,  which  is  the  firstborn : 

17.  but  he  shall  acknowledge  the  firstborn,  the  son  of  the 
hated,  by  giving  him  a  double  portion  of  all  that  he 
hath:  for  he  is  the  beginning  of  his  strength ;  ^  the  right 
of  the  firstborn  is  his. 

18.  If  a  man  have  a  stubborn  and  rebeUious  son,  which 
will  not  obey  the  voice  of  his  father,  or  the  voice  of  his 
mother,  and  though  they  chasten  him,  will  not  hearken 

19.  unto  them :  then  shall  his  father  and  his  mother  lay 

*  m.  during  the  lifetime  of.         *  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  Vg.  add  and. 

and  unmarried  sisters.  The  present  law  deals  with  a  case  that 
may  be  regarded  as  exceptional,  and  so  needing  a  written  enact- 
ment; cf.  Gen.  29;  I  Sam.  i.  The  word  adversary  (i  Sam.  i :  6, 
AV)  has  come  in  the  Semitic  dialects  to  mean  rival  (i  Sam.  i :  6, 
RV),  a  suflScient  testimony  to  the  fact  that  polygamy  did  not 
tend  to  the  peace  of  the  household. 

17.  In  the  day  when  the  man  makes  his  will,  he  must  recognize 
the  right  of  the  firstborn,  he  must  act  according  to  the  law,  and 
not  from  caprice  or  personal  preference.  A  double  portion,  lit., 
a  mouth  of  two,  i.e.  a  twofold  share. 

8.  The  Punishment  of  a  Son  who  is  obstinately  Rebellious ;  21 :  18-21 

18-21.  In  Deut.  only,  but  compare  27  :  16 ;  Exod.  21:15  (JE) ; 
Lev.  20:9  (H).  Though  it  is  scarcely  probable  that  such  a 
law  was  carried  into  practice,  it  is  interesting  as  reflecting  the 
ancient  idea  that  reverence  and  obedience  towards  parents  is  of 
the  very  essence  of  piety  and  absolutely  essential  to  the  welfare 
of  society.  Among  the  Romans  the  father  possessed  the  power  of 
life  and  death  over  his  children ;  this  may  have  been  so  in  Israel 
in  early  days,  if  so  the  present  law  implies  a  limitation  of  parental 
power  by  the  introduction  of  public  justice  into  the  sphere  of  do- 
mestic discipline. 

18.  Stubborn  and  rebellious ;  cf,  Jer.  s  :  23  ;   Ps.  78 :  8. 

19.  The  gateway  (2  Sam.  18:  24)  was  a  meeting-place  for  the 
chief  men  of  the  city,  where  public  business  was  transacted. 

158 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  22  :  i 

hold  on  him,  and  bring  him  out  unto  the  elders  of  his 

20.  city,  and  unto  the  gate  of  his  place ;  and  they  shall  say 
imto  the  elders  ^  of  his  city,  This  our  son  is  stubborn 
and  rebellious,  he  will  not  obey  our  voice;   he  is  a 

21.  riotous  liver,  and  a  drunkard.  And  all  the  men  of  his 
city  shall  stone  him  with  stones,  that  he  die:  so  shalt 
thou  put  away  the  evil  from  the  midst  of  thee ;  and 
all  Israel  shall  hear,  and  fear. 

2  2 .       And  if  a  man  have  committed  a  sin  worthy  of  death.   Acts  s :  30 ; 
and  he  be  put  to  death,  and  thou  hang  him  on  a  tree ;  Gai.^3: 13 ' 

23.  his  body  shall  not  remain  all  night  upon  the  tree,  but 
thou  shalt  surely  bury  him  the  same  day ;  for  he  that 
is  hanged  is  ^  accursed  of  God ;  ^  that  thou  defile  not 
thy  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee  for  an 
inheritance. 

22.  Thou  shalt  not  see  thy  brother's  ox  or  his  sheep  go  D 

1  Sam.  Gr.  men.        *  m.  Heb.  the  curse  of  God. 

20.  A  riotous  liver,  and  a  drunkard.  Perhaps  added  from  Prov. 
23:21. 

21,  The  legislator  again  shows  his  faith  in  the  deterrent  influ- 
ence of  capital  punishment. 

9.   The  Case  of  a  Criminal  who  has  been  Hanged;  21 :  22-23 

22-23.  The  criminal  convicted  of  a  serious  offence  was  hanged, 
after  being  put  to  death,  as  an  additional  disgrace.  Such  a  person  is 
regarded  as  having  the  heavy  curse  of  God  resting  upon  him,  Gal. 
3:13.  The  presence  of  this  God-cursed  corpse  defiled  the  land,  and 
it  was  necessary  to  have  it  put  away  as  soon  as  possible,  Num. 
35 '-  33-  Behind  this  it  is  possible  that  there  lingers  the  primi- 
tive view  that  the  spirit  of  an  unburied  man,  especially  of  a 
malignantly  wicked  man,  could  wander  about  and  cause  trouble. 
The  later  religious  language  expresses  that  by  saying  that  the 
land  was  defiled  and  that  the  curse  of  God  rested  upon  it. 

10.    Kindness  to  the  Neighbor;  22  :  1-4 

1-4.  This  passage  is  evidently  based  on  Exod.  23 :  4  f.  (JE). 
The  difference  between  the  two  passages  is  that  there  the  object  of 

159 


22  : 2 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


astray,  and  hide  thyself  from  them :  thou  shalt  surely 

2.  bring  them  again  unto  thy  brother.  And  if  thy 
brother  be  not  nigh  unto  thee,  or  if  thou  know  him 
not,  then  thou  shalt  bring  it  home  to  thine  house,  and 
it  shall  be  with  thee  until  thy  brother  seek  after  it, 

3.  and  thou  shalt  restore  it  to  him  again.^  And^  so 
shalt  thou  do  with  his  ass ;  and  so  shalt  thou  do  with 
his  garment;  and  so  shalt  thou  do  with  every  lost 
thing  of  thy  brother's,  which  he  hath  lost,  and  thou 
hast  found:  thou  mayest  not  hide  thyself. 

4.  Thou  shalt  not  see  thy  brother's  ass  or  his  ox  fallen 
down  by  the  way,  and  hide  thyself  from  them :  thou 
shalt  surely  help  him  to  Uft  them  up  again. 

5.  A  woman  shall  not  wear  that  which  pertaineth  unto 

1  SV  om.  again.        *  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  om.  and. 


the  kindness  is  "  thine  enemy,"  while  here  it  is  "  thy  brother." 
This  is  intelligible  from  the  fact  that  the  Deuteronomic  point  of 
view  encourages  a  certain  exclusiveness  in  relation  to  foreigners. 
If,  however,  the  word  enemy  in  Exod.  is  taken  in  a  mere  personal 
sense,  then  what  we  have  here  is  a  widening  rather  than  a  narrow- 
ing of  this  law  of  kindness;  cf.  15:  2;  Matt.  5:44.  It  seems 
probable  that  the  earlier  law  was  given  from  a  simple  human 
standpoint,  while  the  author  of  Deut.  has  always  in  view  the  nation 
as  a  sort  of  ecclesiastical  community. 

1,  3,  4.  Hide  thyself ;  see  Isa.  58  :  7 ;  Ps.  55:1. 

2.  A  lost  animal  or  other  lost  property  is  to  be  restored  to  its 
owner ;  in  case  he  is  unknown  then  it  must  be  kept  until  he  comes 
to  claim  it.     Seek  after  it,  better  require  or  demand  it. 

II.  Minor  Prescriptions:  the  Concealment  of  Sex;  Sparing  of  the 
Mother-bird;  Precaution  against  Accidents;  Mingling  of 
Species;  Wearing  of  Tassels;  22  :  5-12. 

5.  Men  and  women  shall  not  hide  their  sex  by  wearing  things 
peculiar  to  the  other  sex.  This  rule,  which  is  peculiar  to  Deut., 
is  not  a  mere  matter  of  etiquette,  it  is  a  protest  against  heathen 
practices.  In  honor  of  certain  gods  there  were  processions 
in   which  men  wore  women's  garments   and   women   those   of 

160 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


a  man,  neither  shall  a  man  put  on  a  woman's  garment : 
for  whosoever  doeth  these  things  is  an  abomination 
unto  the  Lord  thy  God. 

6.  If  a  bird's  nest  chance  to  be  before  thee  in  the  way, 
in  any  tree  or  on  the  ground,  with  young  ones  or  eggs, 
and  the  dam  sitting  upon  the  young,  or  upon  the  eggs, 

7.  thou  shalt  not  take  the  dam  with  the  young:  thou 
shalt  in  any  wise  let  the  dam  go,  but  the  young  thou 
mayest  take  unto  thyself;  that  it  may  be  well  with 
thee,  and  that  thou  mayest  prolong  thy  days. 

8.  When  thou  buildest  a  new  house,  then  thou  shalt 
make  a  battlement  for  thy  roof,  that  thou  bring  not 
blood  upon  thine  house,  if  any  man  fall  from  thence. 

9.  Thou  shalt  not  sow  thy  vineyard  with  two  kinds  of 

the  men,  and  these  religious  demonstrations  were  both  supersti- 
tious and  immoral.  That  which  pertaineth  unto  a  man  is  a 
general  term  including  almost  everything  used  or  worn,  as 
weapons,  jewels,  ornaments,  etc. ;  cf.  Gen.  27:3;    24:53;  Lev. 

13:49- 

6-7.  When  a  bird's  nest  is  taken,  the  mother  must  be  spared. 
If  any  ancient  religious  reasons  lie  behind  this  command,  which  is 
found  only  here,  it  is  not  possible  to  discern  them  now.  There 
may  be  the  idea  that  our  right  in  the  animal  creation  is  limited  to 
the  use  of  the  product,  or  the  mere  utilitarian  principle  that  one 
must  not  kill  the  bird  that  lays  the  golden  eggs.  In  any  case  we 
may  say  that  the  author  of  Deut.  shows  a  friendly  feeling  towards 
animals  ;  cf.  25  :  4. 

8.  The  man  who  builds  a  house  must  take  proper  precautions 
against  accidents.  While  the  law  is  peculiar  to  Deut.  we  find 
in  Exod.  21 :  33  a  regulation  based  upon  substantially  the  same 
principle,  viz.  that  a  man  may  be  held  responsible  for  the 
result  of  carelessness.  In  our  modern  life  this  principle  has  to 
receive  indefinite  extension  and  application.  Battlement,  or 
parapet,  lit.,  a  confining  enclosure;  the  word  occurs  only  here. 
The  flat  roof  of  an  oriental  house  was  used  for  a  great  variety  of 
purposes.  See  Josh.  2:6;  Judg.  16:27;  i  Sam.  9:25;  Isa. 
22:1;   Matt.  24:17;   Acts  10:  9. 

9-1 1.  Different  species  of  things  are  not  to  be  joined  together. 
This  section  connects  very  well  with  v.  5.  Compare  the  slightly 
M  161 


22  :  10 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


seed :  lest  the  ^  whole  fruit  ^  be  forfeited,^  the  seed  which 
thou  hast  sown,  and  the  increase  of  the  vineyard. 

10.  Thou  shalt  not  plow  with  an  ox  and  an  ass  together. 

11.  Thou  shalt  not  wear  a  mingled  stuff,  wool  and  Unen 
together. 

Thou  shalt  make  thee  fringes'  upon  the  four  borders 

12.  of  thy  vesture,  wherewith  thou  coverest  thyself. 

1  m.  Heb.  fulness.        »  m.  Heb.  consecrated.        «  m.  twisted  threads. 

different  form  in  Lev.  19 :  19.  The  reason  for  this  prohibition  is 
no  longer  clear.  The  idea  that  God  has  created  distinct  species 
(Gen.  1),  and  that  the  goodness  and  beauty  of  the  natural  order  is 
not  to  be  disturbed,  seems  too  abstract  and  advanced  for  this  stage. 
There  may  be  a  reminiscence  of  the  fact  that  in  the  polytheistic 
period  different  species  and  different  forms  of  planting  belonged 
to  separate  circles  of  worship  with  their  own  ceremonies ;  cf .  Isa. 
17:  10.  Isa.  28:  25  f.  does  not  seem  to  recognize  these  prohibi- 
tions. 

9.  Vineyard.  In  Lev.  the  more  general  word  field  is  used ;  it  is 
not  certain  which  is  the  earlier  form.  The  whole  fruit,  lit.,  ful- 
ness, RV  m.,  is  defined  by  the  following  phrase.  Forfeited,  lit., 
become  holy  or  consecrated,  i.e.  become  the  property  of  the  sanc- 
tuary. 

10.  In  Palestine  an  ox  and  an  ass  are  still  sometimes  yoked  to 
the  plough  together. 

11.  Mingled  stuff,  a  foreign  word  used  in  both  places,  here  said 
to  be  a  combination  of  wool  and  linen. 

12.  Tassels  must  be  worn  by  the  Israelites  on  the  four  corners 
of  their  mantles.  A  more  elaborate  statement  of  this  law  is 
found  in  Num.  15:37-41  (P).  In  this  passage  they  are  said  to 
be  reminders  of  God's  commandments  and  of  their  own  holy  voca- 
tion. That  which  was  formerly  an  amulet  becomes  a  memorial  of 
Yahweh's  goodness.  Fringes,  twisted  threads  or  cords  (i  Kgs.  7: 
17,  wreaths);  in  Num.  tassels,  a  different  word,  a  cord  ending  in  a 
tassel.  The  later  Jews  had  detailed  prescriptions  for  the  making 
of  these  cords.  Vesture,  the  upper  garment,  a  quadrangular 
piece  of  stuff  thrown  round  the  body  like  a  plaid ;  it  was  also  used 
for  a  covering  at  night,  Exod.  22,  26.  Num.  has  a  word  of  more 
general  signification.  In  later  ages,  when  the  Jews  in  foreign 
lands  were  persecuted,  these  tasselled  cords  were  attached  to  an 
inner  garment  and  finally  transferred  to  the  Tallith,  or  mantle 
worn  at  the  time  of  morning  prayer. 

162 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  22:19 

13.  If  any  man  take  a  wife,  and  go  in  unto  her,  and 

14.  hate  her,  and  lay  shameful  things  to  her  charge,  and 
bring  up  an  evil  name  upon  her,  and  say,  I  took  this 
this  woman,  and  when  I  came  nigh  to  her,  I  found 

15.  not  in  her  the  tokens  of  virginity:  then  shall  the 
father  of  the  damsel,  and  her  mother,  take  and  bring 
forth  the  tokens  of  the   damsel's  virginity   unto  the 

16.  elders  of  the  city  in  the  gate :  and  the  damsel's  father 
shall  say  unto  the  elders,  I   gave  my  daughter  unto 

17.  this  man  to  wife,  and  he  hateth  her;  and,  lo,  he  hath 
laid  shameful  things  ^to  her  charge,^  saying,  I  found 
not  in  thy  daughter  the  tokens  of  virginity ;  and  yet 
these  are  the  tokens  of  my  daughter's  virginity.  And 
they  shall  spread  the  garment  before  the  elders  of  the 

18.  city.    And  the  elders  of  that  city  shall  take  the  man 

19.  and  chastise  him;  and  they  shall  amerce  him  in  an 
himdred  shekels  of  silver,  and  give  them  unto  the  father 

1  Heb.  om,  but  so  read  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg. 

12.  Charges  of  Unchastity  and  Cases  of  Adultery  ;  22 :  13-30. 

13-21.  The  case  in  which  a  man  charges  his  wife  with  miscon- 
duct before  marriage ;  with  twofold  result,  first,  the  charge  is  false 
and  the  slandering  husband  is  punished  by  paying  a  fine  to  the 
father  and  losing  the  power  to  divorce  this  particular  wife,  vs.  13- 
19;  second,  the  woman  is  found  guilty  and  is  punished  with  the 
extreme  penalty,  being  stoned  to  death. 

20,  21.  A  barbarous  and  unsatisfactory  mode  of  administering 
justice  in  regard  to  a  delicate  question.  The  people  who  still  use 
it  may  well  be  called  "  primitive-minded." 

13.  The  emotional  Oriental  was  liable  to  pass  quickly  from 
passionate  desire  to  unreasoning  hate,  24 :  3 ;   2  Sam.  13  :  15. 

14.  17.  Shameful  things.  The  derivation  of  the  original  is 
uncertain,  perhaps,  frivolously  invented  charges. 

19.  A  fine  of  about  sixty  dollars  (£12  105.  od.)  payable  to  the 
father,  whose  character  as  a  guardian  has  been  injured  by  this 
slander.  The  man  shall  also  keep  the  woman  from  whom  he  has 
unjustly  tried  to  free  himself. 

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22:20  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

of  the  damsel,  because  he  hath  brought  up  an  evil 
name  upon  a  virgin  of  Israel:   and  she  shall  be  his 

20.  wife ;  he  may  not  put  her  away  all  his  days.  But  if 
this  thing  be  true,  that  the  tokens  of  virginity  were  not 

21.  found  in  the  damsel:  then  they  shall  bring  out  the 
damsel  to  the  door  of  her  father's  house,  and  the  men 
of  her  city  shall  stone  her  with  stones  that  she  die :  ^ 
because  she  hath  wrought  folly  in  Israel,  ^  to  play  the 
harlot  in  her  father's  house :  ^  so  shalt  thou  put  away 
the  evil  from  the  midst  of  thee. 

22.  If  a  man  be  found  lying  with  a  woman  married  to 
an  husband,  then  they  shall  both  of  them  die,  the  man 
that  lay  with  the  woman,  and  the  woman :  so  shalt 
thou  put  away  the  evil  from  Israel. 

23.  If  there  be  a  damsel  that  is  a  virgin  betrothed  unto 
an  husband,  and  a  man  find  her  in  the  city,  and  He 

24.  with  her ;  then  ye  shall  bring  them  both  out  unto  the 
gate  of  that  city,  and  ye  shall  stone  them  with  stones 
that  they  die ;  the  damsel,  because  she  cried  not,  being 

1  SV  stone  her  to  death  with  stones,  similar  in  v.  24.  *  Sam.  Gr.  to  cause  her 
father's  house  to  commit  whoredom  (or  to  defile  .  .  .  with  wlwredom). 

21.  If  the  charge  is  true,  the  woman  is  to  be  stoned  in  front  of 
her  father's  house,  which  is  supposed  to  be  the  scene  of  her  shame. 
Folly.  She  has  shown  herself  to  be  utterly  lacking  in  moral  sense, 
Gen.  34 :  7 ;   2  Sam.  13  :  12. 

22.  In  the  case  of  a  man  committing  adultery  with  a  married 
woman,  they  shall  both  be  put  to  death,  Exod.  20:  14;  Lev. '18: 
20;  20:  10;  the  manner  of  execution  is  not  prescribed  in  any  of 
these  passages,  but  was,  no  doubt,  by  stoning. 

23.  24.  The  case  of  a  betrothed  maiden  is  treated  in  this  and  the 
immediately  following  verse.  Betrothal  was  an  important  pre- 
liminary to  marriage ;  the  woman  who  was  betrothed  was  practi- 
cally in  the  position  of  a  married  woman,  and  is  here  treated  as 
such.  The  woman  is  already  the  property  of  the  man  who  has 
paid  the  marriage  price,  though  the  marriage  is  not  yet  actually 
complete.     Hence  where  the  woman  can  reasonably  be  judged  to 

164 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


in  the  city ;  and  the  man,  because  he  hath  humbled 
his  neighbour's  wife:  so  thou  shalt  put  away  the  evil 
from  the  midst  of  thee. 

25.  But  if  the  man  find  the  damsel  that  is  betrothed  in  the 
field,  and  the  man  force  her,  and  lie  with  her ;  then 

26.  the  man  only  that  lay  with  her  shall  die ;  but  unto  the 
damsel  thou  ^  shalt  do  nothing ;  there  is  in  the  damsel 
no  sin  worthy  of  death:  for  as  when  a  man  riseth 
against  his  neighbour,  and  slayeth  him,  even  so  is  this 

27.  matter:  for  he  found  her  in  the  field;  the  betrothed 
damsel  cried,  and  there  was  none  to  save  her. 

28.  If  a  man  find  a  damsel  that  is  a  virgin,  which  is  not 
betrothed,  and  lay  hold  on  her,  and  lie  with  her,  and 

29.  they  2  be  found ;  then  the  man  that  lay  with  her  shall 
give  unto  the  damsel's  father  fifty  shekels  of  silver, 
and  she  shall  be  his  wife,  because  he  hath  humbled 
her ;  he  may  not  put  her  away  all  his  days. 

30.  A  man  shall  not  take  his  father's  wife,  and  shall 
not  uncover  his  father's  skirt. 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  ye.       «  Gr.  he. 

have  been  a  consenting  party,  it  comes  under  the  head  of  adultery, 
and  they  must  both  die.  In  the  city  she  might  have  made  resist- 
ance and  called  for  help ;  in  the  field  her  cry  could  not  avail ;  she 
is  therefore  given  the  benefit  of  the  doubt,  and  the  man  alone  must 
die. 

28,  29.  Deals  with  the  case  of  a  maiden  who  is  not  betrothed. 
The  law  does  not  raise  the  question  of  the  woman's  guilt  or  inno- 
cence, but  treats  the  man  as  one  who  has  taken  a  wife  by  force. 
The  man  must  pay  to  the  father  an  average  marriage  price,  and  as 
a  punishment  he  loses  the  privilege  of  divorce  in  this  case,  Exod. 
21 :  32. 

30.  A  man  shall  not  marry  his  stepmother.  It  is  difl&cult  to 
say  why  this  prohibition  should  stand  alone  here,  unless  it  may  be 
that  the  practice  condemned  was  frequent  at  the  time  Deut.  was 
written.  The  rules  regulating  marriages,  as  they  now  exist,  have 
grown  gradually  during  many  centuries  of  experience  and  prog- 


23  11 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


D»  23.  He  that  is  wounded  in  the  stones,  or  hath  his  privy 
member  cut  off,  shall  not  enter  into  the  assembly  of 
the  Lord. 

2.  A  bastard  shall  not  enter  into  the  assembly  of  the 
Lord;  even  to  the  tenth  generation  shall  none  of  his 
enter  into  the  assembly  of  the  Lord. 

3.  An  Ammonite  or  a  Moabite  shall  not  enter  into 
the  assembly  of  the  Lord  ;  even  to  the  tenth  genera- 
tion shall   none  belonging  to  them  enter    into  the 

4.  assembly  of  the  Lord  for  ever :  because  they  met  you 
not  with  bread  and  with  water  in  the  way,  when  ye 

ress.  For  a  more  elaborate  treatment  of  the  subject,  see  Lev. 
18:6  flf,;  20:  II  fif.  That  such  marriages  were  entered  into,  we 
know  from  various  passages.  Gen.  35:  22;  49:4;  2  Sam.  3:7; 
i6:2if. ;  I  Kgs.  2:17;  Ezek.  22:10;  i  Cor.  5:1.  In  ancient 
Arabia  a  man's  wives,  like  the  rest  of  his  property,  passed  to  his 
heir ;  the  son  could  thus  claim  his  father's  wives,  except,  of  course, 
his  own  mother.  These  marriages  are  forbidden  in  the  Koran  for 
the  future. 

IS'  A  List  of  Those  who  are  excluded  and  Those  who  may  enter 
into  Religious  Communion  in  Israel;  23 :  1-8 

1-8.  It  is  possible  that  this  passage  is  a  late  post-exilic  addition ; 
the  question,  however,  of  its  relation  to  other  passages  quoted 
below  is  a  complicated  one. 

1.  Eunuchs  are  to  be  excluded.  This  is  not  simply  a  protest 
against  the  mutilation  of  the  body  that  God  has  given  ;  it  is  aimed 
against  practices  that  were  used  in  certain  heathenish  forms  of 
worship.  Compare  Isa.  56:4  f . ;  Acts  8:27;  Jer.  34:19,  for 
the  position  of  eunuchs,  which  was  evidently  variable.  For  the 
phrase  assembly  of  Yahweh,  see  Mic.  2:5;  Lam.  1:10;  Num. 
16:3;    2o:4(P);    iChron.  28:8. 

2.  Bastard;  cf.  Zech.  9:6.  A  word  of  uncertain  derivation; 
the  term  may  mean  one  born  from  an  incestuous  union.  If  the 
passage  is  late,  it  might  be  a  word  of  reproach  for  the  children  of 
the  mixed  marriages  condemned  in  Neh.  13  :  23  ff. 

3-6.  The  Ammonite  and  the  Moabite  must  also  be  excluded 
because  their  ancestors,  at  the  time  of  the  Exodus,  treated  the 
Israelites  in  an  unfriendly  fashion.  The  tenth  generation,  practi- 
cally perpetual  exclusion.      On  this  passage,  note  the  following 

166 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


came  forth  out  of   Egypt;  and  because   they  hired 
against  thee  Balaam  the  son  of   Beor  from   Pethor 

5.  of  Mesopotamia,^  to  curse  thee.  Nevertheless  the 
Lord  thy  God  would  not  hearken  unto  Balaam; 
but  the  Lord  thy  God  turned  the  curse  into  a  blessing 

6.  unto  thee,  because  the  Lord  thy  God  loved  thee. 
Thou  shalt  not  seek  their  peace  nor  their  prosperity 
all  thy  days  for  ever. 

7.  Thou  shalt  not  abhor  an  Edomite;  for  he  is  thy 
brother :  thou  shalt  not  abhor  an  Egyptian ;  because 

8.  thou  wast  a  stranger  in  his  land.  The  children  of  the 
third  generation  that  are  born  imto  them  shall  enter 
into  the  assembly  of  the  Lord. 

9.  When  thou  goest  forth  in  camp  against  thine  enemies, 

1  m.  Heb.  Aram-naharaim. 


points :  (i)  The  hostility  of  the  Ammonite  is  not  mentioned 
in  2  :  19  ff.,  but  in  2 :  29  it  is  implied  that  the  Moabites  sold  the 
Israelites  bread  and  water  for  money.  (2)  This  is  the  only  refer- 
ence in  Deut.  to  the  Balaam  narrative,  Num.  22:5.  (3)  The 
contrast  in  disposition  between  vs.  6  and  7  is  very  strong.  For  the 
phrase  seek  tiieir  peace,  see  Jer.  29:7;  Ezra  9:12.  (4)  The 
friendly  spirit  manifested  towards  Egypt  and  Edom  is  different 
from  the  ordinary  Deuteronomic  point  of  view,  which  advocates 
separation  from  the  non-Israelite  peoples.  Elsewhere  in  Deut. 
the  fact  of  Israel's  sojourn  in  Egypt  is  used  to  strengthen  the 
demand  for  sympathy  and  kindness  towards  the  poor  and  the 
sojourners. 

14.  Regulations  for  preserving  the  Ceremonial  Cleanness  of  the  Camp 
in  Time  of  War;  23 :  9-14 

9-14.  For  similar,  but  not  identical,  rules,  see  Num.  5  :  1-4  (P) ; 
12-14  has  nothing  corresponding  to  it  in  P,  and  it  may  be  a  later 
addition.  Even  in  the  old  time  Israel's  wars  were  wars  of  Yahweh ; 
the  conduct  of  war  was  a  sacred  action ;  Yahweh  was  present  per- 
sonally or  symbolically  in  the  camp,  and  hence  all  ceremonial 
uncleanness  was  to  be  avoided ;  cf .  Judg.  5:4  f. ;  i  Sam.  4:3; 
2  Sam.  11:  II.     There  may  be  a  survival  of  the  view  of  very 

167 


23  :  10 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


10.  then  thou  shalt  keep  thee  from  every  evil  thing.  If 
there  be  among  you  any  man,  that  is  not  clean  by 
reason  of  that  which  chanceth  him  by  night,  then 
shall  he  go  abroad  out  of  the  camp,  he  shall  not  come 

11.  within  the  camp :  but  it  shall  be,  when  evening  cometh 
on,  he  shall  bathe  himself  in  water :  and  when  the  sun 

12.  is  down,  he  shall  come  within  the  camp.  Thou  shalt 
have  a  place  also  without  the  camp,  whither  thou  shalt 

13.  go  forth  abroad :  and  thou  shalt  have  a  paddle  ^  among 
thy  weapons ;  ^  and  it  shall  be,  when  thou  sittest  down 
abroad,  thou  shalt  dig  therewith,  and  shalt  turn  back 

14.  and  cover  that  which  cometh  from  thee :  for  the  Lord 
thy  God  walketh  in  the  midst  of  thy  camp,^  to  deliver 
thee,  and  to  give  up  thine  enemies  before  thee ;  there- 
fore shall  thy  camp  be  holy :  that  he  see  no  unclean 
thing  ^  in  thee,^  and  turn  away  from  thee. 


>  m.  shovel.  2  Gr.  thou  shalt  have  a  towel  upon  thy  girdle.  s  Sam.  camps. 

*  m.  Heb.  nakedness  0/  any  thing.         »  SV  that  he  may  not  see  an  unclean  thing  in  thee. 

ancient  times  when  different  spheres  of  life  and  different  processes 
of  nature  had  each  its  own  appropriate  god  or  demon.  Holiness 
here  means  the  same  as  ceremonial  cleanness,  and  we  have  to 
admit  that  it  is  here  construed  in  a  somewhat  external  manner. 
In  actual  warfare  it  might  be  impossible  to  carry  out  such  rules, 
but  the  author  is  concerned  more  with  his  idea  of  purity  than  with 
the  actual  demands  of  life.  The  origin  of  such  laws  is  not  in  a 
sanitary  idea,  but  in  one  that  is  religious,  according  to  the  ancient 
conception  of  religion. 

9.  Evil   thing ;    anything    improper   and    unsuited     to    the 
situation. 

II.  The  same  means  of  purification  are  enjoined  in  Lev. 
is:  16. 

13.  Paddle,  RV  marg.,  shovel.  Tent-pin  or  peg,  Judg.  4:  21; 
peg  or  nail,  Isa.  22  :  23  ;   here  an  implement  suitable  for  digging. 

14.  Unclean  thing,  RV  m.,  nakedness  of  anything,  i.e.,  inde- 
cent thing,  24:  I.  Yahweh  goes  to  and  fro  throughout  the 
camp  and  must  not  be  driven  away  by  things  that  are  re- 
pulsive, 

168 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


15.  Thou  shalt  not  deliver  unto  his  master  a  servant 

16.  which  is  escaped  from  his  master  unto  thee :  he  shall 
dwell  with  thee,  in  the  midst  of  thee,  in  the  place  which 
he  shall  choose  within  one  of  thy  gates,  where  it 
liketh  him  best :  thou  shalt  not  oppress  him. 

17.  There  shall  be  no  harlot  ^  of  the  daughters  of  Israel, 
neither  shall  there  be  a  sodomite  ^  of  the  sons  of  Israel. 

18.  Thou  shalt  not  bring  the  hire  of  a  whore,^  or  the  wages 
of  a  dog,  into  the  house  of  the  Lord  thy  God  for  any 
vow:  for  even  both  these  are  an  abomination  unto 
the  Lord  thy  God. 

^  m.  Heh.  kedeskah.    See  Gen.  38:  21.    SV  prostitute.  *  m.  Heb.  kadesh. 

»  SV  harlot. 

15.   Kindness  must  be  shown  to  a  Fugitive  Slave;   23  :  15,  16 

15.  It  is  probable  that  this  refers  to  an  Israelite  who  had  in  some 
way  become  a  slave  to  a  foreign  master ;  he  is  not  to  be  given  up, 
but,  as  he  has  no  property,  he  is  to  be  taken  under  the  kindly  pat- 
ronage and  protection  of  a  brother  Israelite.  This  law,  which 
is  peculiar  to  Deut.,  is  quite  in  harmony  with  the  general  spirit 
of  the  book,  which  constantly  seeks  to  cultivate  a  spirit  of 
brotherliness  in  Israel,  so  that  the  nation  may  be  strong  in  the 
virtue  of  social  sympathy  and  mutual  helpfulness,  i  Kgs.  2  :  39 
shows  that  the  Philistines  had  no  such  law  only  on  the  supposi- 
tion that  the  servants  mentioned  there  were  Philistines,  which  is 
not  certain. 

16.  Immoral  Religious  Usages  Forbidden;  23:  17,  18 

17,  18.  There  shall  be  no  sacred  prostitutes  in  Israel.  This  pro- 
hibition is  not  directed  against  ordinary  immorality,  but  against 
the  impure  practices  that  were  common  at  Canaanite  and  Phoe- 
nician sanctuaries.  Both  men  and  women  prostituted  themselves 
in  the  service  of  the  god  of  the  shrine.  The  original  meaning  of 
the  word  holy  or  consecrated  comes  out  strongly  here  as  the  He- 
brew words  for  harlot  and  sodomite  are  the  feminine  and  mascu- 
line forms  of  the  word  holy.  The  word  in  itself  simply  refers  to 
the  fact  that  these  people  were  in  some  way  set  apart  to  the  ser- 
vice of  a  god.  The  reward  for  their  base  conduct  was  given  to  the 
sanctuary.  It  is  declared  that  Yahweh's  temple  must  receive 
nothing  from  such  a  "  tainted  "  source.     Dog  is  a  contemptuous 

169 


23  :  19  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

19.  Thou  shalt  not  lend  upon  usury  to  thy  brother; 
usury  ^  of  money,  usury   of   victuals,  usury  of   any 

20.  thing  that  is  lent  upon  usury:  unto  a  foreigner  thou 
mayest  lend  upon  usury;  but  unto  thy  brother  thou 
shalt  not  lend  upon  usury:  that  the  Lord  thy  God 
may  bless  thee  in  all  that  thou  puttest  thine  hand 
unto,  in  the  land  whither  thou  goest  in  to  pos- 
sess it. 

21.  When  thou  shalt  vow  a  vow  unto  the  Lord  thy  God, 
thou  shalt  not  be  slack  to  pay  it :  for  the  Lord  thy  God 
will  surely  require  it  of  thee;   and  it  would  be  sin  in 

^  SV  has  interest  instead  of  usury. 

name  for  the  male  prostitute,  based  upon  the  fact  that  the  dog 
was  regarded  as  a  specially  unclean  animal.  Cf.  Rev.  22:  15. 
For  the  O.  T.  allusions  to  this  subject,  see  i  Kgs.  14 :  24 ;  15:12; 
22  :  46 ;  Amos  2:7;  Hos.  4 :  14 ;  Jer.  3  :  2  fif.  For  Josiah's  exe- 
cution of  the  law,  see  2  Kgs.  23  :  2  ff. 

17.  Regulation  of  Usury;  23  :  19,  20 

19,  20.  The  Israelite  must  not  take  from  his  brother  interest 
on  loans.  Compare  Exod.  22:  25  (JE),  Lev.  25:  36  f.,  and  Ps. 
15:  5- 

The  word  usury,  which  now  means  exhorbitant  interest,  means 
in  the  text  simply  interest.  The  taking  of  usury  in  the  original 
sense  is  mentioned  without  blame  in  Matt.  25 :  27.  If  this  could 
be  regarded  as  a  permanently  valid  command,  it  would  stop  busi- 
ness on  any  large  scale  among  the  Israelites.  It  is  expressly  stated 
that  it  is  right  to  charge  interest  on  money  or  goods  lent  to  a 
foreigner.  Hence  this  law  ranks  among  those  which  were  meant 
to  promote  the  spirit  of  brotherly  kindness  within  the  nation ; 
see  15:  i-ii.  The  loans  meant  were  not  those  to  be  used  for 
carrying  on  business  and  making  profit,  but  small  sums  or  loans 
in  kind  meant  to  tide  over  temporary  distress. 

18.    Laws  regarding  Vows;  23:21-23 

21-23.  See  an  elaborate  statement  in  Num.  30.  See  Eccles. 
5  :  4  f. ;  Ps.  76 :  II.  The  place  where  the  vows  must  be  paid  is 
clearly  set  forth  in  Chap.  12;  here  the  point  is  faithfulness  and 

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THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  24 

22.  thee.    But  if  thou  shalt  forbear  to  vow,  it  shall  be  no 

23.  sin  in  thee.  That  which  is  gone  out  of  thy  Ups  thou 
shalt  observe  and  do;  according  as  thou  hast  vowed 
unto  the  Lord  thy  God,  a  freewill  offering,  which  thou 
hast  promised  with  thy  mouth. 

24.  When  thou  comest  into  thy  neighbour's  vineyard, 
then  thou  mayest  eat  grapes  thy  fill  at  thine  own 
pleasure;  but  thou  shalt  not  put  any  in  thy  vessel. 

25.  When  thou  comest  into  thy  neighbour's  standing 
corn,  then  thou  mayest  pluck  the  ears  with  thine  hand; 
but  thou  shalt  not  move  a  sickle  unto  thy  neighbour's 
standing  corn. 

24.  When  a  man  taketh  a  wife,  and  marrieth  her,  then  it 
shall  be,  if  she  find  no  favour  in  his  eyes,  because  he 


promptitude  in  the  payment  of  them.  There  is  no  legislation  on 
the  subject  in  JE.  On  the  ancient  practice  the  following  passages 
shed  light :  Gen.  28 :  20 ;  Num.  21:2;  Judg.  11:30;!  Sam.  i :  1 1 ; 
2  Sam.  15:  7.  A  vow  is  by  its  very  nature  a  freewill  offering; 
it  is  not  prescribed  for  a  man  by  any  law,  but  prompted  by  his 
own  feeling  of  gratitude  or  desire  for  help  ;  therefore  a  man  should 
be  careful  in  making  it  but  quick  and  scrupulous  to  carry  it  out 
when  once  made.  The  same  spirit  may  be  applied  with  profit 
to  our  promises  and  obligations. 

19.   Regulating  the  Use  of  a  Neighbor's  Property  for  the  Satisfac- 
tion of  Hunger;  23  :  24,  25 

24,  25.  This  law,  peculiar  to  Deut.,  recognizes  that  a  man's 
property  must  not  be  stolen  or  wantonly  destroyed,  but  it  takes 
the  position  that  a  traveller  passing  through  a  field  or  vine- 
yard may  take  that  which  is  necessary  for  the  satisfaction  of 
present  appetite.  What  he  can  really  use  at  the  moment  should 
be  allowed  to  him,  but  he  must  not  reap  it  for  himself  or  gather  it 
into  his  basket.  The  law  here  formulated  is  said  by  travellers  to 
be  still  in  force  in  Palestine  and  Arabia.  The  criticism  of  the 
Pharisees  against  the  disciples  was  based  upon  the  idea  that  such 
plucking  and  rubbing  of  the  ears  of  wheat  as  was  necessary  for 
this  eating  must  be  regarded  as  "  work,"  and  therefore  as  unlaw- 
ful on  the  Sabbath  day,  Matt.  12  :  1  ff. ;  Mk.  2  :  23  ;  Lk.  6  :  i  ff. 

171 


24'  2 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


19:7; 
Mk.  10 : 4 


hath  found  some  unseemly  thing  in  her,  that  he  shall 
write  her  a  bill  of  divorcement,  and  give  it  in  her  hand, 

2.  and  send  her  out  of  his  house.  And  when  she  is  de- 
parted out  of  his  house,  she  may  go  and  be  another  man's 
Matt.  5: 31;  3.  wife.  And  if  the  latter  husband  hate  her,  and  write 
her  a  bill  of  divorcement,  and  give  it  in  her  hand,  and 
send  her  out  of  his  house;  or  if  the  latter  husband 

4.  die,  which  took  her  to  be  his  wife ;  her  former  husband, 
which  sent  her  away,  may  not  take  her  again  to  be  his 
wife,  after  that  she  is  defiled ;  for  that  is  abomination 
before  the  Lord  :  and  thou  ^  shalt  not  cause  the  land 
to  sin,  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee  for  an 
inheritance. 

1  Sam.  Gr.  ye. 

20.   Regulation  of  Divorce;  24 :  1-4 

1-4.  The  Hebrew  codes  imply  the  existence  of  divorce  as  an 
established  custom;  Deut.  is  the  only  one  that  contains  any 
legislation  on  the  subject;  cf.  Lev.  22:13;  Num.  30:9.  See 
also  the  quotation  and  application  of  this  law  in  Jer.  3  :  i.  The 
one  regulation  here  is  that  when  a  divorced  woman  has  been 
married  again,  she  may  not  be  taken  back  by  her  first  husband ; 
the  reason  is  not  stated,  though  the  aim  was,  no  doubt,  to  prevent 
the  hasty  dismissal  of  the  wife.  Deliberation  is  also  secured  by 
the  need  of  executing  a  formal  written  deed.  Probably  this  law 
is  an  advance  on  older  custom.  Cf.  Hos.  3;  2  Sam.  3:  13  fiF. 
The  earlier  Jewish  laws  did  not  allow  the  woman  any  correspond- 
ing privilege. 

1.  The  husband  takes  a  dislike  to  his  wife  because  of  some 
unseemly  thing,  lit.,  the  nakedness  of  a  thing  (23 :  14) ;  probably 
immodest  or  indecent  conduct  is  meant,  not  actual  unchastity, 
which  received  a  severe  penalty,  22  :  21.  The  written  formal 
document  is  referred  to  as  a  thing  well  known  at  this  time. 

2.  On  this  point,  see  Matt.  5:32. 

3.  Hate  her ;  on  account  of  some  fault  or  defect,  as  in  v.  i. 

4.  The  woman  thus  divorced  and  married  to  another  man  is 
"  unclean  "  so  far  as  her  first  husband  is  concerned,  so  that  reunion 
would  now  be  a  deadly  sin. 

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THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


III.    Varied  Laws  mostly  of  a  Humane  Character; 
24  :  5-25  : 4 

5.  When  a  man  taketh  a  new  wife,  he  shall  not  go 
out  in  the  host,  neither  shall  he  be  charged  with  any 
business :  he  shall  be  free  at  home  one  year,  and  shall 

6.  cheer  his  wife  which  he  hath  taken.  No  man  shall 
take  the  mill  or  the  upper  millstone  to  pledge:  for 
he  taketh  a  man's  Hfe  to  pledge. 

7.  If  a  man  be  found  stealing  any  of  his  brethren  of 
the  children  of  Israel,  and  he  deal  with  him  ^  as  a 
slave,^  or  sell  him ;  then  that  thief  shall  die :  so  shalt 
thou  put  away  the  evil  from  the  midst  of  thee. 

I  m.  as  a  chattel. 

I.   Privilege  of  the  newly  Married  Man;  24 :  5 

5.  Compare  20 :  7.  He  shall  be  free  not  only  from  war  service 
but  also  from  all  public  duties  for  one  year  that  he  may  rejoice 
with  his  wife. 


2. 


The  Mill  not  to  be  taken  in  Pledge;  24 :  6 


6.  For  similar  regulations,  see  vs.  10-13.  Such  laws  are  meant 
to  check  harsh  treatment  of  the  poor.  Amos  2:8;  Prov.  22:27. 
Here  it  is  stated  that  the  hand-mill  in  whole  or  part  is  not  to  be 
taken  in  pledge  because  it  is  a  man's  life.  The  household  mill 
for  the  daily  grinding  of  the  meal  was  indispensable,  as  each  family 
had  thus  to  provide  its  own  flour.  If  the  upper  stone,  called  the 
rider,  was  taken  away,  the  needful  work  was  interrupted.  Only 
those  in  great  distress  would  attempt  to  pledge  such  a  thing,  and 
pity  must  be  shown  to  them.  There  are  many  references  in  the 
Bible  to  this  grinding  at  the  mill,  which  was  regarded  as  menial 
work  and  usually  performed  by  women. 

3.   Man-stealing  Forbidden;  24 :  7 

7.  This  law  is  repeated  from  Exod.  21 :  16  (JE).  It  is  quite  in 
conformity  with  the  spirit  of  Deut.  that  man  in  the  earlier  passage 
is  replaced  by  the  phrase  any  of  his  brethren  of  the  children  of 
Israel.  In  the  Code  of  Hammurabi  it  is  decreed  that  he  who 
steals  the  son  of  a  free  man  shall  be  put  to  death. 

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24:8  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

8.  Take  heed  in  the  plague  of  leprosy,  that  thou  ob- 
serve diligently,  and  do  according  to  alP  that  the 
priests  the  Levites  shall  teach  you :  as  I  commanded 

9.  them,  so  ye  shall  observe  to  do.  Remember  what 
the  Lord  thy  God  did  unto  Miriam,  by  the  way  as 
ye  came  forth  out  of  Egypt. 

10.  When  thou  dost  lend  thy  neighbour  any  manner  of 
loan,  thou  shalt  not  go  into  his  house  to  fetch  his 

11.  pledge.  Thou  shalt  stand  without,  and  the  man  to 
whom  thou  dost  lend  shall  bring  forth  the  pledge 

12.  without  unto  thee.     And  if  he  be  a  poor  man,  thou 

13.  shalt  not  sleep  with  his  pledge:  thou  shalt  surely 
restore  to  him  the  pledge  when  the  sun  goeth  down, 
that  he  may  sleep  in  his  garment,  and  bless  thee: 

1  Sam.  Gr.  add  the  law. 

I 

4.    Treatment  of  Leprosy;  24 :  8,  9 

8-9.  The  case  of  leprosy  is  to  be  treated  according  to  the  pre- 
scriptions of  the  Levitical  priests.  No  such  prescriptions  are 
given  in  JE,  but  in  P  the  subject  is  treated  quite  elaborately,  in 
two  long  chapters,  Lev.  13  :  14.  Probably  such  teaching  existed 
before  the  time  of  Deut.  if  not  in  the  exact  form  of  those  chap- 
ters. Here  what  is  meant  is  not,  beware  of  sinning  lest  ye  be 
stricken  with  leprosy  like  Miriam,  but  rather,  if  you  are  stricken 
with  leprosy  follow  the  prescriptions  of  the  priests,  for  this  is 
required  of  all,  even  of  the  sister  of  Moses,  Num.  12 :  14  f.  The 
reason  is  that  such  prescriptions  come  from  God  for  the  help  of 
his  people.  Plague,  touch  or  stroke,  17:8;  21:5,  —  the  physical 
sign  of  the  dread  disease. 

5.   Rules  regarding  Pledges;  24:10-13. 

10-13.  The  first  is  peculiar  to  Deut.  and  decrees  that  the 
creditor  must  not  enter  the  house  of  the  debtor  to  select  the 
pledge;  the  borrower  must  be  allowed  to  bring  forth  something 
that  he  can  spare.  The  second  is  found  also  in  Exod.  22  :  25  f. ; 
and  ordains  that  if  a  poor  man  has  pledged  his  garment  it  must  be 
returned  to  him  at  sunset  so  that  he  can  use  it  for  covering  at 

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THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


and  it  shall  be  righteousness  unto  thee  before  the 
^LoRD  thy  God. 

14.  Thou  shalt  not  oppress  an  hired  servant  that  is 
poor  and  needy,  whether  he  be  of  thy  brethren,  or 
of  thy  strangers  that  are  ^  in  thy  land  ^  ^  within  thy 

15.  gates :  2  in  his  day  thou  shalt  give  him  his  hire,  neither 
shall  the  sun  go  down  upon  it;  for  he  is  poor,  and 
setteth  his  heart  upon  it :  lest  he  cry  against  thee  unto 
the  Lord,  and  it  be  sin  unto  thee. 

16.  The  fathers  shall  not  be  put  to  death  for  the  chil- 
dren, neither  shall  the  children  be  put  to  death  for 
the  fathers:  every ^  man  shall  be  put  to  death  for 
his  own  sin. 

1  Sam.  Gr.  om.  2  Gr.  in  thy  cities.  «  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  each  (with  verb  in 
sing.,  Heb.  has  pi.  verb). 

night.  The  following  passages  show  that  a  garment  was  a  not 
uncommon  form  of  pledge,  24:  17;  Amos  2:8;  Prov.  20:  16; 
27  :  13 ;  Job  22  :  6.  For  the  use  of  the  mantle,  cf.  Exod.  12  :  34; 
Judg.  8 :  25 ;  i  Sam.  21:9.  Merciful  treatment  of  the  poor  is  to 
be  regarded  as  preeminently  a  good  work. 

6.  Consideration  must  be  shown  towards  Hired  Servants;  24 :  14,  15 

14.  15.  Compare  Lev.  19:  13  (H).  The  man  who  works  for  a 
day's  wage  is  poor,  and  so,  as  soon  as  he  has  finished  his  work,  he 
should  receive  that  which  is  due. 

15.  In  his  day.  He  must  be  paid  promptly  according  to  the 
proper  standard,  cf.  Matt.  20 :  2  f.  Setteth  his  heart  upon  it,  lit., 
lifteth  up  his  soul  to  it;  then  if  he  is  disappointed  he  cries  to  heaven, 
to  Yahweh,  who  is  the  guardian  of  the  poor  and  oppressed. 

7.  A  Call  for  a  Fuller  Recognition  of  Individual  Responsibility; 

24:  16 

16.  A  man  should  be  put  to  death  only  for  his  own  sin.  This 
doctrine  is  preached  as  a  revelation  in  Ezek.  18,  and  it  is  possible 
that  this  verse  is  dependent  upon  that  chapter,  though  no  doubt 
the  feeling  was  growing  in  that  direction  in  the  time  of  Deut., 
cf.  7  :  10.  The  earlier  view  was  that  a  man  was  so  closely  joined 
to  his  family  and  tribe  that  it  was  not  unnatural  for  them  to  be 

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24  :  17  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

17.  Thou  shalt  not  wrest  the  judgement  of  the  stranger, 
nor  ^  of  the  fatherless ;  ^  nor  take  the  widow's  raiment 

18.  to  pledge :  ^  but  thou  shalt  remember  that  thou  wast 
a  bondman  in^  Eg)rpt,  and  the  Lord  thy  God  re- 
deemed thee  thence :  therefore  I  command  thee  to  do 
this  thing. 

19.  When  thou  reapest  thine  harvest  in  thy  field,  and 
hast  forgot  a  sheaf  in  the  field,  thou  shalt  not  go 
again  to  fetch  it :  it  shall  be  for  the  stranger,  for  the 
fatherless,  and  for  the  widow:  that  the  Lord  thy 
God  may  bless  thee  in  all  the  work  of  thine  hands. 

20.  When  thou  beatest  thine  olive  tree,  thou  shalt  not 
go  over  the  boughs  again :  it  shall  be  for  the  stranger, 

21.  for  the  fatherless,  and  for  the  widow.  When  thou 
gatherest  the  grapes  of  thy  vineyard,  thou  shalt  not 
glean  it  after  thee :    it  shall  be  for  the  stranger,  for 

»  So  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.,  Heb.  om.  *  Some  Gr.  Mss.  add  nor  of  the  widow  and  om.  last 
clause.       »  Gr.  adds  the  land  of. 

involved  in  a  common  punishment ;  cf .  Josh.  7  :  24  f . ;  2  Sam. 
21 :  1-9 ;  Dan.  6  :  24 ;  Esther  9  :  13.  This  seems  to  have  been  the 
popular  view  in  Israel  down  to  a  late  time,  Jer.  31 :  29;  Ezek. 
18 :  2.  In  2  Kings  14 :  6  emphasis  is  laid  upon  the  fact  that  Ama- 
ziah  observed  this  law. 

8.   Consideration  demanded  for  the  Needy;  24;  17-22 

17-18.  Compare  Exod.  22 :  21  f.,  where  the  same  three  classes 
of  people  are  mentioned  as  unprotected  and  liable  to  oppression. 
Thou  shalt  not  wrest  the  judgement,  cf.  i6:  19;  Exod.  23:6. 
To  take  the  widow's  raiment  to  pledge  is  classed  with  other  deeds 
of  oppression,  cf.  Job.  24 :  3. 

18.  Practically  the  same  as  15  :  15. 

.  19-22.  The  gleanings  are  to  be  left  for  these  needy  people. 
Compare  Lev.  19  :  9  f. ;  23  :  22  (H).  The  law  is  meant  to  encour- 
age a  humane  spirit  and  to  guard  against  meanness. 

19.  And  hast  forgot  a  sheaf.  This  seems  to  point  to  the  origi- 
nal form  of  the  custom  when  that  which  had  been  unconsciously 
forgotten  was  left  for  the  poor.     The  law  then  demanded  that 

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THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


22.  the  fatherless,  and  for  the  widow.  And  thou  shalt 
remember  that  thou  wast  a  bondman  in  the  land  of 
Eg)rpt :  therefore  I  command  thee  to  do  this  thing. 

IV.  Regulations  of  a  Miscellaneous  Character; 
25  :  5-26  :  15 

25.       If  there  be  a  controversy  between  men,  and  they  D 
come  unto  judgement,  and  the  jtidges   judge  them; 
then  they  shall  justify  the  righteous,  and  condemn 

2.  the  wicked;  and  it  shall  be,  if  the  wicked  man  be 
worthy  to  be  beaten,  that  the  judge  shall  cause  him 
to  He  down,  and  to  be  beaten  before  his  face,  accord- 

3.  ing  to  his  wickedness,  by  number.  Forty  stripes  he 
may  give  him,  he  shall  not  exceed :  lest,  if  he  should 

something  should  be  intentionally  left  for  the  poor.  Still  later 
the  Jews  discussed  the  question  as  to  how  much  was  to  be  so  left. 
For  the  position  of  the  gleaner  see  Ruth  2.  If  originally  the  last 
sheaf  was  left  for  a  religious  reason,  all  consciousness  of  the  specific 
purpose  has  vanished. 

9.    Regulation  of  Corporal  Punishment;  25 :  1-3 

1-3.  The  use  of  corporal  punishment  was  common  and  some- 
times the  results  were  fatal,  cf.  Exod.  21 :  20.  See  also  Isa.  50 :  6 ; 
Jer.  20:  2  f.;  37:  15;  Prov.  10:  13,  etc.  This  is  the  only  place 
in  the  O.  T.  where  it  is  authorized  and  regulated ;  its  two  provi- 
sions are  meant  to  guard  against  excessive  severity ;  the  punish- 
ment shall  take  place  in  the  presence  of  the  judge  who  is  respon- 
sible for  the  sentence,  and  the  number  of  stripes  shall  be  limited 
to  forty.  Later  usage  made  this  thirty-nine  to  lessen  the  danger 
of  going  beyond  the  prescribed  number,  cf.  2  Cor.  11 :  24. 

1.  Judgement,  i.e.  the  place  of  judgment.  Justify  and  con- 
demn, in  the  legal  sense  to  acquit  and  declare  guilty. 

2.  Worthy  to  be  beaten,  lit.,  a  son  of  beating.  According  to  his 
wickedness.  This  suggests  that  the  number  of  stripes  are  to  be 
in  proportion  to  the  gravity  of  the  offence,  but  that  the  maximum 
is  forty. 

3.  Seem  vile  unto  thee,  i.e.  be  dishonored.  On  the  word 
see  27 :  16.     Not  the  corporal  punishment  in  itself  is  regarded  as 

N  177 


25  :  4  ^^^  ^00^  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

exceed,  and  beat  him  above  these  with  many  stripes, 
then  thy  brother  should  seem  vile  unto  thee. 

I  Cor.  9:9;     4.       Thou  shalt  not  muzzle  the  ox  when  he  treadeth 

I  Tim.  5: 18  ontUhe  corn} 

5.       If  brethren  dwell  together,  and  one  of  them  die,  and 
have  no  son,^  the  wife  of  the  dead  ^  shall  not  marry 

Matt.   23 :  without  unto  a  stranger :  her  husband's  brother  shall 

24 ;  Mk.  13 :    

19 ;  Lk.  20 :  ' 

38  ^  SV  grain.        *  Gr.  seed.        *  SV  shall  not  be  married. 

degrading  but  the  excessive  amount ;   a  man  has  some  dignity  of 
nature;  he  must  not  be  treated  as  a  vile  worthless  thing. 

ID.  Oxen  not  to  be  muzzled  when  at  Work  threshing  the  Corn;  25:4 

4.  This  method  of  threshing  by  the  treading  of  the  oxen  is  still 
in  use  in  Eastern  lands,  and  as  a  rule  they  are  left  unmuzzled. 
The  writer  of  Deut.  believed  that  kindness  should  be  shown  to 
animals ;  while  it  is  clear  that  the  principle  that  "  the  labourer 
is  worthy  of  his  hire  "  may  be  applied  to  all  classes  of  workers, 
it  is  also  clear  that  the  writer  of  this  verse  was  not  thinking  of  the 
support  of  the  priests  or  ministers.  Compare  i  Cor.  9:9;!  Tim. 
S:i8. 

I.    The  Law  of  Levirate-Marriage;  25  :  5-10 

S-io.  This  form  of  marriage,  so-called  from  the  Latin,  /mr, 
brother-in-law,  existed  among  many  ancient  peoples.  Its  pre- 
cise origin  is  uncertain ;  it  may  have  a  remote  connection  with 
ancestor  worship  or  other  primitive  ideas  and  customs  which  were 
forgotten  when  the  law  took  its  present  form.  Long  after  ancestor 
worship  had  passed  away  the  feeling  was  strong  in  Israel  that  it 
was  a  great  calamity  and  in  a  sense  a  disgrace  for  a  man  to  leave 
no  one  to  perpetuate  his  name.  Gen.  38.  Here  the  custom  is 
modified ;  it  applies  only  to  brothers  dwelling  together  on  the  same 
family  estate,  and  it  is  no  longer  absolutely  binding.  There 
are  different  ways  of  explaining  the  relationship  of  the  present 
passage  to  Lev.  18  :  16;  20:21;  probably  these  prohibitions 
refer  to  such  marriages  when  the  brother  is  still  alive.  Matt. 
20:  23  f.,  and  parallel  passages  show  that  the  custom  continued 
long  after  the  time  of  Deut. 

5.  Son  is  no  doubt  to  be  taken  literally  though  Gr.  has  seed  and 
Matt.  22  :  24,  child.  The  stranger  is  a  man  belonging  to  another 
family  or  clan ;  marriage  with  him  would  divide  the  estate  and 

178 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  25  :  10 

go  in  unto  her,  and  take  her  to  him  to  wife,  and  per- 
form the  duty  of  an  husband's  brother  imto  her. 

6.  And  it  shall  be,  that  the  firstborn  ^  which  she  beareth 
shall  succeed  in  the  name  of  his  brother  which  is 
dead,  that  his  name  be  not  blotted  out  of  Israel. 

7.  And  if  the  man  Hke  not  to  take  his  brother's  wife, 
then  his  brother's  wife  shall  go  up  to  the  gate  unto 
the  elders,  and  say.  My  husband's  brother  refuseth 
to  raise  up  unto  his  brother  a  name  in  Israel,  he  will 
not  perform  the  duty  of  an  husband's  brother  imto 

8.  me.  Then  the  elders  of  his  city  shall  call  him,  and 
speak  unto  him :  and  if  he  stand,  and  say,  I  Uke  not 

9.  to  take  her;  then  shall  his  brother's  wife  come  imto 
him  in  the  presence  of  the  elders,  and  loose  his  shoe 
from  off  his  foot,  and  spit  in  his  face;  and  she  shall 
answer  and  say.  So  shall  it  be  done  imto  the  man 

10.  that  doth  not  build  up  his  brother's  house.  And  his 
name  shall  be  called  in  Israel,  the  house  of  him 
that  hath  his  shoe  loosed. 

1  Sam.  adds  son. 

this  is  if  possible  to  be  avoided.  Perform  the  duty  of  an  husband's 
brother  unto  her.  The  Hebrew  has  a  special  verb,  a  technical 
term  for  this  conduct ;  showing  that  it  is  a  question  of  an  ingrained 
custom. 

6.  It  was  a  regular  marriage  in  which  only  the  firstborn  was 
reckoned  as  the  son  of  the  dead  brother,  bearing  his  name  and 
becoming  his  heir. 

7.  For  a  similar  scene  though  slightly  different  in  its  significance 
see  Ruth  4 ;  there  Boaz  purchases  the  woman  and  redeems  the 
estate. 

9.  The  man  who  declines  this  honorable  duty  lays  himself 
open  to  contemptuous  treatment.  The  drawing  off  of  the  shoe 
by  the  woman  suggests  a  shameful  giving  up  of  the  rights  and 
duties  of  his  position,  Ruth  4 :  7,  The  spitting  expresses  bitter 
scorn,  Num.  12:  14 ;  Isa.  50:6;  Job  30 :  10. 
"•  10.  He  who  will  not  build  up  his  brother's  house  shall  have  a 

179 


25  :  II  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

11.  When  men  strive  together  one  with  another,  and 
the  wife  of  the  one  draweth  near  for  to  deHver  her 
husband  out  of  the  hand  of  him  that  smiteth  him, 
and  putteth  forth  her  hand,  and  taketh  him  by  the 

12.  secrets :  then  thou  shalt  cut  off  her  hand,  thine  eye 
shall  have  no  pity. 

13.  Thou  shalt  not  have  in  thy  bag  divers  weights,  a 

14.  great  and  a  small.    Thou  shalt  not  have  in  thine 

15.  house  divers  measures,  a  great  and  a  small.  A  per- 
fect and  just  weight  shalt  thou  have;  a  perfect  and 
just  measure  shalt  thou  have:  that  thy  days  may 
be  long  upon^  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God 

^  SV  in  instead  of  upon. 

scornful  name  clinging  to  his  own  house,  viz.  the  house  of  the 
barefooted  one,  i.e.  one  who  like  a  "  tramp  "  has  no  respect  for 
social  duties. 

2.  An  Immodest  Action  on  the  Part  of  the  Woman  is  to  be  visited 
with  Severe  Punishment;  25:  11,  12 

II,  12.  Apart  from  "  the  law  of  like  "  (19:  21)  this  is  the  only 
place  where  the  law  requires  bodily  mutilation  as  a  punishment. 
In  the  Code  of  Hammurabi  there  are  several  cases  of  punishment 
by  cutting  off  the  offending  member,  e.g.  the  hand  of  the  son  that 
struck  his  father,  etc.  This  is  treated  as  a  typical  case  of  im- 
modesty ;  behind  the  extreme  severity  there  may  be  some  primi- 
tive religious  reason  no  longer  discernible. 

3.  Demand  for  Just  Weights  and  Measures;  25  :  13-16 

13-16.  Honesty  in  commerce  is  required  as  well  as  firmness  in 
the  administration  of  justice.  For  the  latter  see  16 :  18-20. 
With  this  demand  compare  Amos  8:5;  Mic.  6 :  10  f .  Parallel 
is  Lev.  19  :  35  f.  (H) ;   Ezek.  45  :  10. 

13.  Divers  weights,  lit.,  a  stone  and  a  stone,  i.e.  two  different 
stones,  a  large  one  for  buying  with  and  a  small  one  for  selling. 
These  might  be  carried  about  in  a  bag. 

14.  Divers  measures,  lit.,  an  ephah  and  an  ephah,  two  different 
ephahs.     The  large  measure,  about  a  bushel,  kept  in  the  house. 

15.  For  the  promise  see  5  :  16. 

180 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


1 6.  giveth  thee.  For  all  that  do  such  things,  even  all 
that  do  unrighteously,  are  an  abomination  unto  the 
Lord  thy  God. 

17.  Remember  what  Amalek  did  unto  thee  by  the  way 

18.  as  ye  ^  came,  forth  out  of  Egypt ;  how  he  met  thee  by 
the  way,  and  smote  the  hindmost  of  thee,  all  that 
were  feeble  behind  thee,  when  thou  wast  faint  and 

19.  weary;  and  he  feared  not  God.  Therefore  it  shall 
be,  when  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  given  thee  rest  from 
all  thine  enemies  round  about,  in  the  land  which  the 
Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee  for  an  inheritance  to  pos- 
sess it,  that  thou  shalt  blot  out  the  remembrance  of 
Amalek  from  under  heaven ;  thou  shalt  not  forget. 

26.       And  it  shall  be,  when  thou  art  come  in  imto  the  d 

1  Gr.  Vg.  thou  {earnest  forth). 

16.  The  final  half  of  this  verse  is  found  in  18:  12;  22 :  5;  the 
second  in  Lev.  19:  15-35  (H). 

4.  The  Amalekites  must  he  exterminated;  25  :  17-19 

17-19.  The  reason  for  this  is  that  when  Israel  came  out  of 
Egypt  the  Amalekites  hampered  their  movements  and  cut  off  the 
stragglers;  this  statement  should  be  compared  with  Ex.  17, 
where  the  battle  with  Amalek  is  recorded,  but  this  particular 
incident  is  not  mentioned;  when  Deut.  was  written  Amalek 
had  ceased  to  be  a  formidable  enemy,  i  Sam.  14:48;  15:  27: 
28;  30:  17. 

18.  Amalek  cut  off  the  rear  all  that  were  compelled  to  fall  be- 
hind on  account  of  weariness,  thus  showing  by  his  lack  of  human- 
ity that  he  feared  not  God. 

19.  When  Israel  has  gained  a  secure  position  then  final  and 
complete  vengeance  is  to  be  inflicted  on  these  enemies.  In  such 
a  case  the  children  would  suffer  for  the  sins  of  the  fathers.  Com- 
pare 24 :  16. 

5.  Liturgy  to  he  used  at  the  Presentation  of  the  First  Fruits  and 
Tithes;  26 :  1-15 

1-15.  Two  forms  of  confession  and  thanksgiving.  These 
verses  have  a  special  interest  as  they  give  us  specimens  of  ancient 

181 


26:2  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee  for  an 
inheritance,  and  possessest  it,  and  dwellest  therein; 

2.  that  thou  shalt  take  of  the  first  of  all  ^  the  fruit  of 
the  ground,  which  thou  shalt  bring  in  from  thy  land 
that  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee;  and  thou  shalt 
put  it  in  a  basket,  and  shalt  go  unto  the  place  which 
the  Lord  thy^  God  shall  choose  to  cause  his  name 
DR  3.  to  dwell  there.  And  thou  shalt  come  unto  the  priest 
that  shall  be  in  those  days,  and  say  unto  him,  I  pro- 
fess this  day  unto  the  Lord  thy  God,  that  I  am 
come  unto  the  land  which  the  Lord  sware  imto  our 
fathers  for  ^  to  give  us. 

4.  And  the  priest  shall  take  the  basket  out  of  thine 
hand,  and  set  it  down  before  the  altar  of  the  Lord 

1  Sam.  Gr.  om.  all.       »  Gr.  my.       «  SV  om. 


liturgical  literature  in  which  the  lofty  Hebrew  faith  concerning 
God's  guidance  in  history  and  blessing  in  nature  is  manifested 
in  the  form  of  prayerful  confession  and  grateful  adoration.  These 
make  a  suitable  conclusion  to  the  legislation,  seeing  that  they  show 
in  forms  of  living  worship  the  performance  of  laws  already  given, 
18 :  4 ;  16  :  9-12.  The  first  prescribes  a  form  of  prayer  to  be  used 
at  the  annual  offering  of  the  first  fruits,  1-12;  the  second  gives 
a  confession  and  prayer  to  be  offered  in  connection  with  the  presen- 
tation of  the  triennial  tithe.  The  exact  relationship  of  the  first- 
fruits  and  tithes  is  doubtful ;  this  chapter  is  concerned  with  the 
manner  of  their  presentation  rather  than  their  final  use. 

1.  Nearly  the  same  as  17  :  14. 

2.  Of  the  first,  lit.,  some  of  the  first,  the  expression  in  v.  10  dif- 
fers in  not  having  the  partitive  particle,  see  12  :  6;  18:  4.  The 
word  for  basket  is  found  again  only  in  v.  4,  28  :  5,  17. 

3.  The  priest,  i.e.  the  chief  priest,  at  the  central  sanctuary;  for 
the  form  of  expression,  see  17:  9;  19:  17.  Profess,  i.e.  declare. 
The  individual  worshipper  makes  profession  of  faith  in  the  God 
of  his  fathers ;  the  promises  of  the  past  have  received  rich  fulfil- 
ment. This  verse  and  the  next  may  be  an  amplification  meant 
to  guard  the  rights  of  the  priest,  compare  v.  10,  where  the  wor- 
shipper himself  appears  to  deposit  the  basket  before  Yahweh. 

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THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  26  :  10 

5.  thy  God.    And  thou  shalt  answer  and  say  before  the  d 
Lord  thy  God,  A  Syrian  ^  ready  to  perish  ^  was  my 
father,  and  he  went  down  into  Egypt,  and  sojourned 
there,  few  in  number  ;  and  he  became  there  a  nation, 

6.  great,^  mighty,  and  populous:  and  the  Egyptians 
evil  entreated  us,^  and  afflicted  us,  and  laid  upon  us 

7.  hard  bondage :  and  we  cried  unto  the  Lord,  the  God 
of  our  fathers,  and  the  Lord  heard  our  voice,  and 
saw  our  affliction,  and  our  toil,  and  our  oppression: 

8.  and  the  Lord  brought  us  forth  out  of  Egypt  with  a 
mighty  hand,  and  with  an  outstretched  arm,  and 
with  great   terribleness,   and  with    signs,   and  with 

9.  wonders:  and  he  hath  brought  us  into  this  place, 
and  hath  given  us  this  land,  a  land  flowing  with  milk 

10.   and  honey.     And  now,  behold,  I  have  brought  the 

1  m.  Heb.  Aramean.  *  m.  wandering  or  lost.  Gr.  reads  my  father  abandoned 
(lost)  Syria,  etc.  *  Sam.  Vg.  Tar.  add  and;  Gr.  reads  became  a  mighty  nation  and 
a  great  multitude.       *  SV  dealt  ill  with  us. 

5.  Now  there  begins  a  more  specific  statement  of  God's  merci- 
ful care  and  strong  protection  manifested  in  the  peculiar  history 
of  this  people.  A  Syrian  (or  Aramean,  m.) :  the  reference  is  to 
Jacob,  whose  ancestors  came  from  Syria,  and  who  himself  fled 
there  from  the  anger  of  his  brother  and  who  in  his  old  age  went 
down  to  Egypt  and  was  in  the  position  of  a  "  sojourner  "  there ; 
Gen.  24:4-10;  47:4.  Ready  to  perish,  or  perishing,  may  also 
be  translated  as  in  the  margin,  wandering.  In  the  former  case  the 
reference  would  be  to  the  danger  from  which  Jacob  fled ;  in  the 
latter,  to  his  adventure,  as  a  traveller  in  a  strange  land,  building 
up  his  fortunes  by  hard  toil.  The  brief  historical  review  here 
given  is  based  upon  the  statements  of  the  earlier  narratives  and 
uses  expressions  of  which  the  Deuteronomic  writer  is  fond. 

7.  Deliverance  was  given  in  answer  tp  prayer ;  the  thought  of 
sorrow  as  a  means  of  driving  men  to  a  sense  of  dependence  upon 
their  God  is  one  that  plays  a  great  part  in  these  narratives. 

9,  This  is  not  mere  imaginative  forecast ;  there  moves  through 
the  statement  a  sense  of  patriotic  pride  and  gratitude  which  comes 
from  actual  possession  of  the  land  and  knowledge  of  its  varied 
history  and  rich  fruitfulness. 

183 


26  :  II  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

first  of  the  fruit  of  the  ground,  which  thou,  O  Lord, 
hast  given  me.  And  thou  shalt  set  it  down  before 
the  Lord  thy  God,  and  worship  before  the  Lord  thy 

11.  God :  and  thou  shalt  rejoice  in  all  the  good  which  the 
Lord  thy  God  hath  given  unto  thee,^  and  unto  thine 
house,  thou,^  and  the  Levite,  and  the  stranger  that  is 
in  the  midst  of  thee. 

12.  When  thou  hast  made  an  end  of  tithing  all  the 
tithe  of  thine  increase  in  the  third  year,  ^  which  is 
the  year  of  tithing,^  then  thou  shalt  give  it  unto  the 
Levite,  to  the  stranger,  to  the  fatherless,  and  to  the 
widow,  that  they  may  eat  within  thy  gates,  and  be 

13.  filled;  and  thou  shalt  say  before  the  Lord  thy  God,  I 
have  put  away  the  hallowed  things  out  of  mine  house, 
and  also  have  given  them  unto  the  Levite,  and  ^  xmto 
the  stranger,  to  the  fatherless,  and  to  the  widow, 
according  to  all  thy  commandment  ^  which  thou  hast 
commanded  me :   I  have  not  transgressed  any  of  thy 

14.  commandments,  neither  have  I  forgotten  them:    I 

1  Gr.  thou  and  thine  houses,  etc.  *  Gr.  om.  and  reads  thou  shalt  give  the  second 
tenth  to  the  Levite.        *  Sam.  Tar.  om.  and.        *  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  commandments  (pi.). 

10.  Compare  with  v.  3. 

12-15.  Confession  to  be  made  at  the  offering  of  the  tithe.  For 
the  law  of  tithe,  see  14 :  28,  where  it  is  ordained  that  this  triennial 
tithe  is  to  be  used  for  charitable  purposes  at  the  home  of  its  giver. 
To  bring  the  present  command  into  relation  with  that  law  we  must 
suppose  that  this  form  of  confession  and  thanksgiving  is  to  be 
used  by  the  worshipper  on  such  occasions,  but  the  phrase  before 
Yahweh  thy  God  in  the  next  verse  would  in  this  book  be  most 
naturally  interpreted  of  a  prayer  offered  at  the  central  sanctuary 
in  connection  with  the  offerings  presented  there,  at  one  of  the 
pilgrimage-festivals,  16 :  13. 

13.  I  have  put  away  the  hallowed  things.  The  tithe  is  thus 
spoken  of  because  it  has  been  consecrated  or  set  apart  by  a  divine 
command,  14:  28.  For  a  time  it  remained  in  the  house  of  the  owner, 
but  now  it  has  been  conscientiously  cleared  out  and  devoted  to 
its  proper  purposes. 

184 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


have  not  eaten  thereof  in  my  mourning,  neither  have 
I  put  away  thereof,  being  unclean,  nor  given  thereof 
for  the  dead:  I  have  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  the 
Lord  my  God,  I  have  done  according  to  all  that 

15.  thou  hast  commanded  me.  Look  down  from  thy  holy 
habitation,  from  heaven,  and  bless  thy  people  Israel, 
and  the  ground  which  thou  hast  given  us,  as  thou 
swarest  unto  our  fathers,  a  land  flowing  with  milk 
and  honey. 

V.  Exhortations  to  obey  the  Law  just  Given; 
26 :  16-28  :  68 

16.  This  day  the  Lord  thy  God  commandeth  thee  to 
do  these  statutes  and  judgements :  thou  shalt  there- 
fore keep  and  do  them  with  all  thine  heart,  and  with 
all  thy  soul. 


14.  While  in  the  house  of  the  owner  this  tithe  might  have  been 
rendered  unclean  in  various  ways,  but  the  worshipper  declares  that 
care  has  been  taken  to  prevent  this.  The  different  forms  of  con- 
tamination mentioned  are  (i)  by  the  eating  of  it  in  mourning; 
mourning  bread  (Hos.  9  :  4)  is  unclean,  for  death  and  the  customs 
surrounding  it  retained  much  of  primitive  superstition;  (2)  by 
the  person  who  put  it  away  being  ceremonially  unclean  such 
"  uncleanness  "  was  regarded  as  contagious,  Hag.  2:13;  (3)  by 
sending  gifts  of  food  to  a  funeral  feast  or  making  offerings  to 
the  dead,  Jer.  16:  7;  Ezek.  24:  17.  When  the  Hebrew  teachers 
were  coming  to  the  full  consciousness  of  the  supremacy  of  their 
God  they  protested  vigorously  against  all  survivals  from  ancient 
polytheism. 

15.  On  the  basis  of  past  faithfulness  the  worshipper  claims 
continued  mercy  from  the  God  who  from  heaven  has  sent  such 
rich  blessings  upon  the  land. 

I.  The  Formula  of  Obligation  to  the  Law;  26 :  16-19 

16-19.  Concluding  exhortation  to  observe  the  whole  law. 

16.  These  words  are  a  formula  of  obligation  for  the  day  when 
the  Law  was  given ;  compare  the  statement  in  2  Kgs.  23  :  3. 

i8S 


26  :  17  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

17.  Thou  hast  avouched  the  Lord  this  day  to  be  thy 
God,  and  that  thou  shouldest  walk  in  his  ways,  and 
keep  his   statutes,  and  his  commandments,  and  his 

18.  judgements,  and  hearken  unto  his  voice;  and  the 
Lord  hath  avouched  thee  this  day  to  be  a  ^  peculiar 
people  unto  himself,^  as  he  hath  promised  thee,  and 
that  thou  shouldest  keep  all  his   commandments; 

19.  and  to  make  thee  high  above  all  nations  which  he 
hath  made,  2 in  praise,  and  in  name,  and  in  honour;  ^ 
and  that  thou  mayest  be  an  holy  people  unto  the 
Lord  thy  God,  as  he  hath  spoken. 

D»  27.       And  Moses  and  the  elders  of  Israel  commanded  the 
people,^  saying.  Keep  all  the  commandment  which  I 

1  SV  a  people  for  his  own  possession.  '  va.for  a  praise,  and  for  a  name,  and  for 
an  honour.         '  Gr.  om.  tfie  people. 

17.  Avouched,  lit.,  caused  to  say,  a  peculiar  form  of  expression 
which  occurs  only  here.  It  comes  from  the  nature  of  the  covenant 
looked  upon  as  a  two-sided  transaction ;  each  party  assumes  cer- 
tain duties  and  obligations  which  are  expected,  relied  upon  by  the 
other,  so  that  each  one  entering  into  the  mutual  contract  may  be 
said  to  cause  the  other  to  say  that  which  is  implied  in  the  action. 
The  writer  does  not  mean  to  overlook  the  fact  that  the  covenant 
originates  in  Yahweh's  electing  grace.  They  have  passed  beyond 
the  view  of  mere  natural  relationship  between  God  and  the  people ; 
it  is  a  bond  of  living  faith  and  moral  obligation,  mercy  on  the  one 
side  and  obedience  on  the  other.  It  is  possible  that  the  original 
order  was  as  follows :  Thou  hast  caused  Yahweh  to  say  that  he  would 
be  thy  God,  and  that  he  would  raise  thee  high  above  all  peoples,  etc. 
Yahweh  hath  caused  thee  to  say  this  day  that  thou  wouldest  be  a  peculiar 
people  unto  himself,  as  he  hath  promised  thee,  and  that  thou  shouldest 
keep  all  his  commandments,  and  that  thou  shouldest  walk  in  his 
ways,  etc. 

19.  Israel  has  not  only  been  created  by  Yahweh,  but  has  also 
received  a  position  of  higher  privilege  and  responsibility  than 
that  of  the  rest  of  the  nations.  History  has  justified  this  claim ; 
a  wide  survey  of  facts  shows  that  there  is  in  it  an  abiding  truth 
which  should  not  be  ignored  because  it  has  so  often  been  presented 
in  narrow  fanatical  forms. 
?  186 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  27:3 

2.  command  you  this  day.  And  it  shall  be  on  the  day 
when  ye  shall  pass  over  Jordan  *  unto  the  land  which 
the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee,  that  thou  shalt  set 
thee  up  great  stones,  and  plaister  them  with  plaister : 

3.  and  thou  shalt  write  upon  them  all  the  words  of  this 

1  SV  the  Jordan. 

2.  Composite  Chapter  of  a  Special  Character;  27 :  1-26 

Chap.  27.  Various  commands  to  be  observed  after  the  people 
have  crossed  the  Jordan.  This  chapter  is  peculiar  in  its  character 
and  position,  it  interrupts  the  speech  of  Moses,  has  no  close  relation 
to  the  specific  Deuteronomic  material,  and  is  evidently  a  reworking 
of  older  narratives  and  laws.  While  the  critical  problems  that  it 
raises  cannot  be  completely  settled,  it  is  interesting  and  instructive, 
and  shows  how  carefully  such  literary  fragments  were  preserved, 
and  how  gradually  the  liturgical  forms  and  responsive  services 
were  worked  out.  We  have  in  it  a  command  to  inscribe  the  law 
on  great  stones  and  to  set  up  an  altar,  a  brief  exhortation  given  to 
the  people  by  Moses  and  the  priests,  a  statement  that  the  different 
tribes  are  to  stand  to  bless  and  to  curse  on  Mts.  Gerizim  and  Ebal, 
then  a  series  of  curses  simply.  It  is  probable  that  the  first  section, 
vs.  1-8,  contains  the  account  of  two  different  things,  —  the  setting 
up  of  large  stones  with  inscriptions  immediately  after  the  passage 
of  the  Jordan,  and  the  erection  of  an  altar  on  Mt.  Ebal,  —  which 
have  been  blended  together. 

(a)  An  altar  to  be  built  and  inscriptions  to  be  set  up ;  27  :  i-io. 
I.  And  the  elders  of  Israel.  Elsewhere  in  Deut.  Moses  alone 
gives  the  commands  to  the  people;  as  the  verb  is  in  the  singu- 
lar in  the  first  half  of  the  verse,  Moses  alone  speaks  in  the  second 
half,  and  the  Greek  omits  the  people,  the  original  form  may 
have  represented  the  command  as  given  by  Moses  to  the  elders, 

31:9- 

2.  On  the  day  when,  etc.  This  is  probably  to  be  taken  liter- 
ally, and  in  that  case  the  distance  between  Ebal  and  the  Jordan 
is  ignored.  See  11 :  29  ff.  The  great  stones  are  to  plaistered  with 
white  lime  and  then  an  inscription  painted  or  written  thereon  in 
black  or  colored  letters.  This  was  an  Egyptian  method  to  paint 
or  plaister  stones  and  then  inscribe  upon  them  figures  or  characters 
using  a  black  pigment  of  durable  quality.  It  was  a  common  cus- 
tom in  other  ancient  countries  to  engrave  laws  or  ceremonial  regula- 
tions on  slabs  of  stone  or  metal. 

3.  This  law.  Possibly  the  foregoing  chapters,  6-26,  but  more 
187 


27:4  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

law,  when  thou  art  passed  over;  that  thou  mayest 
go  in  unto  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth 
thee,  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  as  the 
Lord,  the  God  of  thy  fathers,  hath  promised  thee. 

4.  And  it  shall  be  when  ye  are  passed  over  Jordan,  that 

ye  shall  set  up  these  stones,  which  I  command  you 

this  day,  in  mount  Ebal,^  and  thou  shalt  plaister 

JE     5.   them  with  plaister.    And  there  shalt  thou  build  an 

altar  unto  the  Lord  thy  God,  an  altar  of  stones: 

6.  thou  shalt  lift  up  no  iron  tool  upon  them.  Thou  shalt 
build  the  altar  of  the  Lord  thy  God  of  unhewn^ 
stones:  and  thou  shalt  offer  burnt  offerings  thereon 
DR  7.  unto  the  Lord  thy  God:  and  thou  shalt  sacrifice 
peace  offerings,  and  shalt  eat  there:  and  thou  shalt 
rejoice  before  the  Lord  thy  God. 

'  Sam.  Gerizim.        *  Heb.  whole. 

likely  the  legislation  contained  in  12-26.  It  was  necessary  to 
have  a  permanent  record  that  the  revelation  of  God  and  the  work 
of  great  teachers  might  be  preserved,  Isa.  8:1;  30 :  8.  Further 
progress  in  the  conquest  of  the  land  is  here  made  dependent  upon 
obedience  to  the  law  already  given. 

4.  Ebal :  the  Samaritan  version  has  Gerizim.  This  change 
has  no  doubt  been  made  deliberately  in  honor  of  their  own  sacred 
mountain.  See  11:29;  Josh.  4:20.  The  stones  thus  set  up 
shall  serve  as  a  memorial  of  Yahweh's  loving  kindness  to  the  com- 
ing generations,  Josh.  4 :  6. 

5-7,  This  information  is  probably  derived  from  the  earlier 
narrative  of  E,  since  Deut.  does  not  recognize  any  altar  save 
the  one  at  the  place  which  Yahweh  shall  choose,  i.e.  Jeru- 
salem. This  altar  is  to  be  built  according  to  the  ancient  law  of 
Exod.  20:  25,  JE;  the  stone  must  be  in  its  natural  condition, 
untouched  by  any  instrument  used  by  man.  Such  stones  are  found 
at  primitive  sanctuaries ;  they  were  regarded  as  dwelling  places 
of  the  God  and  later  as  signs  of  the  divine  presence,  Gen.  28 :  18. 
It  is  likely  that  there  was  such  a  sanctuary  at  Ebal  in  early  times, 
II :  29. 

7.  Peace  oflferings  occurs  along  with  the  burnt  oflferings  in 
Exod.  20 :  24,  but  the  term  does  not  occur  elsewhere  in  Deut. ; 

188 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


8.  And  thou  shalt  write  upon  the  stones  all  the  words  of 
this  law  very  plainly. 

9.  And  Moses  and  the  priests  the  Levites  spake  unto  D 
all  Israel,  saying,  Keep  silence,  and  hearken,  O  Is- 
rael ;  this  day  thou  art  become  the  people  of  the  Lord 

10.  thy  God.  Thou  shalt  therefore  obey  the  voice  of 
the  Lord  thy  God,  and  do  his  commandments  and 
his  statutes,  which  I  command  thee  this  day. 

11.  And  Moses  charged  the  people  the  same  day,  saying,  JE 

12.  These  shall  stand  upon  mount  Gerizim  to  bless  the 

the  word  "sacrifice  "  being  used  in  its  place,  12  :  6,  11,  27;  18:  3. 
The  general  tone  of  the  verse,  however,  in  its  call  for  feasting  and 
rejoicing  before  God  is  quite  in  the  Deuteronomic  style  and  spirit. 
The  two  kinds  of  sacrifice  commanded  here  are  frequently  men- 
tioned together,  Judg.  20:26;  21:5;  i  Sam.  10:8;  2  Sam. 
6:  17;  iKgs.  3:  15. 

8.  The  inscription  is  to  be  written,  with  all  possible  clearness, 
upon  the  stones  referred  to  in  vs.  2,  4,  not  upon  the  stones  of  the 
altar  described  in  5,  6. 

9,  10.  These  verses  have  no  connection  with  what  has  gone 
before  or  with  those  that  follow  immediately  after,  but  in  speech 
and  sentiment  they  join  very  closely  with  28:1;  and  it  is  possible 
that  in  the  original  Deuteronomy  they  formed  the  link  connecting 
the  two  related  chapters  26  and  28.  Because  Israel  has  entered 
into  a  covenant  with  Yahweh  (26  :  17)  and  thus  become  a  peculiar 
people,  therefore  loyal  obedience  to  the  divine  commands  may 
reasonably  be  expected.  The  Hebrews  were  an  emotional  people, 
they  invested  these  religious  transactions  with  a  solemn  mag- 
nificence ;  but  they  were  also  a  practical  people  who  acknowledged 
that  the  final  outcome  of  a  true  covenant  must  be  surrender  on 
their  part  to  the  will  of  their  God.  This  was  always  clear,  but  the 
advance  made  through  the  influence  of  great  teachers  was  in 
gaining,  under  the  divine  guidance,  a  purer  and  loftier  idea  of  the 
moral  nature  of  this  obedience,  Hos.  6:6;    Ps.  40 :  6. 

9.  Though  the  priests,  the  Levites,  are  included,  it  appears 
from  the  next  verse  that  Moses  was  the  speaker.  Keep  silence: 
the  Hebrew  word  used  occurs  only  here;  the  proper  attitude  in 
the  presence  of  a  divine  message  is  a  reverent  silence,  Hab.  2:20; 
Zech.  2  :  13. 

(6)  The  blessings  and  curses  on  Ebal  and  Gerizim ;  cf .  27:1 1-26, 
11-13.  This  passage  also  belongs  to  one  of  the  earlier  records,  as 

189 


27  :  13  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

people,  when  ye  are  passed  over  Jordan ;  Simeon,  and 

Levi,  and  Judah,  and  Issachar,  and  Joseph,  and  Ben- 
13.  jamin:  and  these  shall  stand  upon  mount  Ebal  for  the 

curse;   Reuben,  Gad,  and  Asher,  and  Zebulun,  Dan, 
Ds   14.   and  Naphtali.    And  the  Levites  shall  answer,  and  say 

unto  all  the  men  of  Israel  with  a  loud  voice. 
15.       Cursed  be  the  man  that  maketh  a  graven  or  molten 

image,  an  abomination  unto  the  Lord,  the  work  of  the 


Levi  is  here  not  an  ecclesiastical  class  but  a  secular  tribe  along- 
side the  other  tribes.  Compare  33  :  8  with  Gen.  49  :  5.  In  11 :  29 
it  is  said  that  the  blessing  is  to  be  set  on  Mount  Gerizim  and  the 
curse  on  Mount  Ebal,  and  the  meaning  of  this  blessing  and  curse 
is  explained  in  11 :  26,  as  referring  to  obedience  and  disobedience 
of  the  Law.  It  appears  to  be  meant  that  in  a  solemn  ceremony 
six  tribes  shall  stand  on  one  mount  and  six  on  the  other,  uttering 
respectively  the  blessings  and  the  curses.  The  principle  upon 
which  this  division  of  the  tribes  is  made  is  not  clear,  it  does  not 
seem  to  be  geographical ;  it  has  been  pointed  out  that  on  the  side 
of  the  curse  are  those  of  inferior  birth,  along  with  Reuben  who 
forfeited  his  birthright,  Gen.  49 :  4.  In  Josh.  8 :  33  fif.  we  have 
an  account  by  a  Deuteronomic  writer  of  the  carrying  out  of  this 
command  by  Joshua,  who  is  represented  as  following  carefully  in 
the  footsteps  of  his  great  master.  The  permanent  idea  is  that 
God's  blessing  rests  on  obedience  to  the  law  of  righteousness, 
while  the  curse  follows  the  steps  of  the  wilful  transgressor.  Here, 
in  the  following  paragraph,  we  have  only  the  curses. 

14-26.  Twelve  curses,  corresponding  to  the  number  of  tribes, 
are  pronounced  by  the  Levites  against  certain  forms  of  trans- 
gression. Here  the  Levites  are  priests  standing  over  against  the 
people  who  respond  to  their  utterances.  In  the  previous  para- 
graph the  two  halves  of  the  nation  are  set  opposite  each  other. 
The  curses  here  are  not  chosen  with  any  special  reference  to  the 
Deuteronomic  Law.  It  is  likely  that  we  have  here  a  selection 
from  an  old  liturgy  that  has  been  preserved  by  its  insertion  in  this 
book. 

14.  Levites.  The  priests  or  inferior  clergy,  10 :  8.  Compare 
the  work  of  the  Levites  in  Neh.  8.  Answer  has  here  the  sense  of 
"  begin  to  speak  "  as  in  21 :  7. 

15.  Cursed.  This  word  may  have  many  shades  of  significance, 
which  can  only  be  determined  by  a  careful  investigation  of  all 
the  passages  involved ;  but  it  is  well  to  remember  that  to  the  an- 

190 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  27  :  19 

hands  of  the  craftsman,  and  setteth  it  up  in  secret. 
And  all  the  people  shall  answer  and  say,  Amen. 

16.  Cursed  be  he  that  setteth  light  by  his  father  or  his 
mother.     And  all  the  people  shall  say,  Amen. 

17.  Cursed  be  he  that  removeth  his  neighbour's  land- 
mark.     And  all  the  people  shall  say,  Amen. 

18.  Cursed  be  he  that  maketh  the  blind  to  wander  out  of 
the  way.    And  all  the  people  shall  say.  Amen. 

19.  Cursed  be  he  that  wresteth  Hhe  judgement  of  the 
stranger,^  fatherless,  and  widow.  And  all  the  people 
shall  say,  Amen. 

*  SV  the  justice  due  to  the  sojourner. 

cients  blessings  and  curses  uttered  under  strong  provocation  or  in 
solemn  circumstances  were  real  things  carrying  in  themselves  their 
beneficent  or  fatal  effect.  Here  it  is  a  strong  expression  of  di- 
vine disapproval  of  these  particular  acts  which  all  the  more  were 
to  be  condemned  because  the  covenant  had  been  thus  solemnly 
ratified  by  the  people.  Amen,  lit.,  firm,  assured;  as  a  strong  ex- 
pression of  assent,  certainly,  truly,  i  Kgs.  1:36;  Jer.  11:5; 
in  a  liturgical  formula.  Num.  5:22;  as  a  response  of  the  people, 
Neh.  8:6.  For  the  prohibition  against  making  images,  4:  16; 
23;  25;  Exod.  29:4-23;  34:17;  Lev.  19:4;  26:1.  Secret 
idolatry,  Job  31 :  27. 

16.  Setteth  light  by,  i.e.  dishonour eth,  a  weaker  form  of  the 
same  verb  used  in  Ex.  21 :  17 ;  Lev.  20 :  9  (curseth),  the  opposite 
of  the  word  honor  used  in  the  fifth  commandment.  Reverence 
for  parents  or  filial  piety  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  features  of 
Hebrew  religion.  If  ever  they  practised  ancestor  worship,  they 
have  by  the  teaching  of  inspired  prophets  been  saved  from  the 
stagnation  that  often  comes  from  such  idolatry  of  the  past,  and 
have  preserved  only  the  best  element,  viz.  the  true  respect  that 
is  due  from  youth  to  age,  5:  16;  21:  18-21;  Exod.  20:  12; 
21 :  17  ;   Lev.  20:  9. 

17.  One  of  the  prohibitions  peculiar  to  Deut. ;  see  on  19:  14. 

18.  Maketh  ...  to  wander  out  of  the  way  or  cans  eth  to  go 
astray  in  the  way,  Prov.  28 :  10.  This  prohibition  is  found  only 
here  and  Lev.  19:  14.  Only  those  destitute  of  real  kindly  feel- 
ing would  take  advantage  of  such  infirmities. 

19.  See  24:17;    Exod.   22:21-24;    23:9;    Lev.   19:33.     A 

191 


27  :  20  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

20.  Cursed  be  he  that  Heth  with  his  father's  wife ;  be- 
cause he  hath  uncovered  his  father's  skirt.  And  all 
the  people  shall  say,  Amen. 

21.  Cursed  be  he  that  Ueth  with  any  manner  of  beast. 
And  all  the  people  shall  say,  Amen. 

22.  Cursed  be  he  that  Ueth  with  his  sister,  the  daughter 
of  his  father,  or  the  daughter  of  his  mother.  And  all 
the  people  shall  say,  Amen. 

23 .  Cursed  be  he  that  heth  with  his  mother  in  law.  And 
all  the  people  shall  say.  Amen. 

24.  Cursed  be  he  that  smiteth  his  neighbour  in  secret. 
And  all  the  people  shall  say.  Amen. 

25.  Cursed  be  he  that  taketh  reward^  to  slay  an  innocent 
person.    And  all  the  people  shall  say,  Amen. 

Gal.  3:10     26.       Cursed  be  he  that  confirmeth  not^  the  words  of 

1  SV  a  bribe.        »  Sam.  Gr.  add  all. 

solemn  demand  for  civic  justice  and  social  virtue.     The  Deutero- 
nomic  Law  takes  under  its  care  the  unprotected  classes. 

20.  Prohibition  of  marriage  with  step-mother,  22:30;  Lev. 
18:  8;   20:  II. 

21.  See  Exod.  22  :  19 ;   Lev.  18 :  23 ;    20 :  15. 

22.  Marriage  with  a  half-sister  prohibited.  See  Lev.  18:9; 
20 :  17  ;  and  compare  Gen.  29  :  12  ;  2  Sam.  13  :  13.  According  to 
Ezekiel,  who  condemns  this  kind  of  marriage,  it  was  practised  in 
his  day.  See  Ezek.  22:11.  The  ancient  custom  is  explained 
by  the  fact  that  relationship  on  the  father's  side  was  not  looked 
upon  as  so  close  as  that  on  the  mother's  side. 

23.  This  prohibition  is  not  found  in  the  Deuteronomic  Law. 
See  Lev.  18  :  17;   20:  14. 

24.  Even  if  the  murderer  escapes  the  grasp  of  human  justice, 
the  curse  of  God  is  upon  him.  Exod.  29:13;  21:12;  Lev. 
24:17.    In  secret:  13:  7;    28:57. 

25.  Cursed  are  those  who  received  bribes  for  slaying  the  inno- 
cent. Taking  bribes  is  denounced  by  the  prophets  and  con- 
demned in  the  Law,  but  the  nearest  parallel  to  this  passage  is 
Ezek.  22:  12;    "in  thee  have  they  taken  bribes  to  shed  blood." 

26.  This  law  refers  probably  to  the  Deuteronomic  legislation, 
an  adaptation  of    the  liturgy  to  its  present  situation.     Those 

192 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  28  :  I 

this  law  to  do  them.    And  all  the  people  shall  say, 
Amen. 
28.       And  it  shall   come  to  pass,  if  thou  shalt  hearken  D 
diligently  unto  the  voice  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  to 
observe  to  do  all  his  commandments  which  I  com- 


who  do  not  confirm,  lit.,  cause  to  stand  up,  or  give  effect  to  this  law 
have  the  curse  of  heaven  resting  upon  them. 

3.  The  Blessings  and  Curses  which  follow  upon  Obedience  and 
Disobedience;  Chap.  28 

Chap.  28.  A  powerful  speech  setting  forth  the  blessings  and 
curses  which  follow  upon  obedience  and  disobedience  to  the  Law. 

This  chapter,  which  is  printed  in  the  text  as  two  paragraphs, 
of  unequal  length,  may  be  called  a  great  sermon  in  favor  of  loyal 
obedience  to  the  Law  which  has  now  been  given;  it  has  been 
named  the  "  Peroration  to  the  Deuteronomic  Legislation."  It 
joins  on  quite  well  to  v.  10  of  the  previous  chapter.  It  should 
be  noted  that  the  other  codes  of  JE  and  P  have  each  a  similar 
conclusion,  Exod.  23  :  20-33  ^^^  Lev.  26  :  3-45.  A  certain 
•number  of  verses  present  in  similar  forms  the  blessings  and 
curses ;  then  the  curses  and  misfortunes  are  developed  at  greater 
length  in  a  series  of  striking  pictures.  As  the  part  devoted  to 
the  curses  is  of  so  much  greater  length,  it  may  have  received 
later  additions;  such  a  statement  as  this  was  peculiarly  liable 
to  be  enriched  by  fuller  experience  in  days  when  thoughtful 
students  of  the  Word  felt  that  the  nation  was  suffering  from  the 
accumulated  mistakes  and  misdoings  of  the  past.  The  whole 
speech,  however,  breathes  a  oneness  of  spirit  and  is  marked  by  a 
massive  strength  and  unity;  intelligently  interpreted,  it  is  still 
the  kind  of  sermon  that  is  very  much  needed.  To  us  the  Law  of 
God  is  not  the  ceremonial  law  of  Moses,  but  the  highest  teaching 
of  the  O.  T.  concerning  social  righteousness,  the  latest  revelations 
of  science,  and  the  call  of  our  Lord  Jesus  to  the  noblest  human 
service.  In  this  large  sense  we  may  appropriate  the  blessings 
and  curses  of  the  olden  time ;  the  nation  that  cherishes  within  its 
borders  the  real  spirit  of  brotherhood  and  is  ready  to  bear  a  fair 
share  of  the  world's  burden  of  sorrow  and  need  shall  be  exalted 
to  true  peace  and  prosperity. 

(a)  1-14.  The  blessings  of  obedience.  Compare  similar 
statements  in  7  :  12-16 ;    11 :  13-15,  22-25. 

I.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  —  the  connection  is  with  26 :  19 
o  193 


28:2  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

mand  thee  this  day,  that  the  Lord  thy  God  will  set 

2.  thee  on  high  above  all  the  nations  of  the  earth :  and  all 
these  blessings  shall  come  upon  thee,  and  overtake 
thee,  if  thou  shalt  hearken  unto  the  voice  of  the  Lord 

'  thy  God. 

3.  Blessed  shalt  thou  be  in  the  city,  and  blessed  shalt 

4.  thou  be  in  the  field.  Blessed  shall  be  the  fruit  of  thy 
body,  and  the  fruit  of  thy  ground,  and  ^  the  fruit  of 
thy  cattle,^  the  increase  of  thy  kine,  and  the  young 

5.  of  thy  flock.    Blessed  shall  be  thy  basket  and  thy 

6.  kneadingtrough.  Blessed  shalt  thou  be  when  thou 
comes t  in,  and  blessed  shalt  thou  be  when  thou  goest 

7.  out.  The  Lord  shall  cause  thine  enemies  that 
rise  up  against  thee  to  be  smitten  before  thee :  they 
shall  come  out  against    thee  one   way,    and    shall 

8.  flee  before  thee  seven  ways.    The  Lord  shall  com- 

1  Gr.  om.,  SV  beasts  for  caUle  and  cattle  for  kine. 

or  27:10.  Set  thee  on  high.  See  26:19.  This  promise  has 
been,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  abundantly  fulfilled ;  but  in  its  original 
form  it  is  one  that  was  liable  to  be  misapplied  by  zealots  who  had 
a  narrow  view  of  the  Law. 

2.  Come  upon  thee,  and  overtake  thee.  This  is  more  than  what 
we  call  poetic  personification ;  the  blessings  and  curses  are  regarded 
as  living  agents  of  God's  justice  which  follow  on  the  track  of  the 
individual  and  the  nation.  This  is  the  ancient  equivalent  of  our 
modern  idea  of  inexorable  law. 

3.  Here  we  have  six  clauses  beginning  with  the  word  "  Blessed," 
and  promising,  as  a  result  of  obedience,  prosperity  in  every  sphere 
of  the  nation's  life. 

4.  The  fruit  of  thy  cattle.  This  phrase  has  probably  come  in 
here  from  v.  18 ;  it  is  lacking  in  one  important  Greek  Ms.,  and 
in  V.  18.     On  the  rest  of  the  verse,  see  the  note  on  7 :  13. 

5.  There  is  no  scarcity.  The  basket  for  gathering  the  fruit  and 
the  kneadingtrough  for  making  the  bread  shall  be  always  full. 

6.  The  army  of  the  enemy  advances  against  them  in  an  orderly 
march,  but,  being  repulsed,  flees  wildly  in  all  possible  directions, 
Exod.  25  :  32 ;  Lev.  26  :  7. 

194 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  28  :  12 

mand  the  blessing  upon  thee  in  thy  barns,  and  in 
all  that  thou  puttest  thine  hand  unto ;  and  he  shall 
bless  thee  in  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God 
9.  giveth  thee.  The  Lord  shall  establish  thee  for  an 
holy  people  unto  himself,  as  he  hath  sworn  unto  thee ; 
if  thou  shalt  keep  the  commandments  of  the  Lord 

10.  thy  God,  and  walk  in  his  ways.  And  all  the  peoples  of 
the  earth  shall  see  that  thou  art  called  by  the  name  of 

11.  the  Lord;  and  they  shall  be  afraid  of  thee.  And  the 
Lord  shall  make  thee  plenteous  for  good,  in  the  fruit 
of  thy  body,  and  in  the  fruit  of  thy  cattle,  and  in  the 
fruit  of  thy  ground,  in  the  land  which  the  Lord  sware 

12.  unto  thy  fathers  to  give  thee.  The  Lord  shall  open 
imto  thee  his  good  treasure  ^  the  heaven  to  give  the 
rain  of  thy  land  in  its  season,  and-  to  bless  all  the  work 
of  thine  hand:  ^  and  thou  shalt  lend  unto  many  nations, 
and  thou  shalt  not  borrow. 

^m.  treasury.        »  Sam.  Gr.  om,  ard.        »  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  hands. 

8.  Lit.,  may  Yahweh  command  his  blessing  with' thee,  etc.  The 
same  tone  of  energetic  desire  probably  runs  through  the  following 
verses. 

9.  Holy  people,  see  7  :  6 ;  14 :  2 ;  26 :  19.  The  general  condi- 
tion in  V.  I  is  here  taken  up  indirectly.  Seeing  that  thou  wilt 
keep  the  commandment,  etc. 

10.  That  thou  art  called  by  the  name  of  Yahweh :  better,  that 
Yahweh's  [name  is  called  over  thee.     The  meaning  of  this  comes 

out  clearly  from  such  a  passage  as  2  Sam.  12:  28,  where  Joab 
says,  "  Lest  I  take  the  city  and  my  name  he  called  over  it."  Yah- 
weh claims  to  be  the  owner  and  protector  of  this  people,  and  as  he 
is  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth  men  will  be  afraid  of  attacking 
his  property. 

11.  He  will  make  thee  enjoy  prosperity  in  an  excessive  degree. 
See  vs.  II  and  18. 

12.  According  to  the  antique  view,  Yahweh  kept  the  rain,  hail, 
and  snow  in  his  storehouses  above  the  firmament.  Gen.  1:7; 
17:11;    Jer.  10:13;    Job  38:22.      Because  of  the  abundance 

195 


28  :  13  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

13.  And  the  Lord  shall  make  thee  the  head,  and  not  the 
tail ;  and  thou  shalt  be  above  only,  and  thou  shalt  not 
be  beneath;  if  thou  shalt  hearken  unto  the  command- 
ments of  the  Lord  thy  God,  which  I  command  thee 

14.  this  day,  to  observe  and  to  do  them;  and  shalt  not  turn 
aside  from  any  of  the  words  which  I  command  you  ^ 
this  day,  to  the  right  hand,  or  to  the  left,  to  go  after 
other  gods  to  serve  them. 

15.  But  it  shall  come  to  pass,  if  thou  wilt  not  hearken 
unto  the  voice  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  to  observe  to  do 
all  his  commandments  and  his  statutes  which  I  com- 
mand thee  this  day ;  that  all  these  curses  shall  come 

16.  upon  thee,  and  overtake  thee.  Cursed  shalt  thou  be 
in  the  city,  and  cursed  shalt  thou  be  in  the  field. 

17.  Cursed  shall  be  thy  basket  and  thy  kneadingtrough. 

18.  Cursed  shall  be  the  fruit  of  thy  body,  and  the  fruit  of 
thy  ground,  the  increase  of  thy  kine,  and  the  young  of 

19.  thy  flock.     Cursed  shalt  thou  be  when  thou  comest  in, 

20.  and  cursed  shalt  thou  be  when  thou  goest  out.  The 
Lord  shall  send  upon  thee  cursing,^  discomfiture,  and 
rebuke,  in  all  that  thou  puttest  thine  hand  unto  for 
to  do,  until  thou  be  destroyed,  and  until  thou  perish 

»  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  thu.       «  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  Vg.  add  and. 

of  produce  Israel  will  have  wealth  to  lend  to  other  nations ;  cf . 
15:6;    Ps.  37:  26. 

13.  Therefore  Israel  will  take  a  prominent  position  among  the 
nations  and  will  rise  continually  in  reputation  and  influence.  For 
the  figure,  see  Isa.  9 :  14. 

14.  Read  with  Sam.  Gr.  AV,  /  command  thee. 

(b)  15-68.  Curses  come  as  the  result  of  disobedience.  The 
forms  used  to  express  the  curses  in  16-19  correspond  exactly 
to  those  used  for  the  blessings  in  3-6. 

20.  Very  emphatic,  these  three  things;  cursing,  discomfort, 
and  rebuke  are  regarded  as  living  agents  of  the  divine  vengeance. 
The  second  half  of  the  verse  has  a  peculiar  change  of  person, 

196 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  28  :  26 

quickly;  because  of  the  evil  of  thy  doings,  whereby 

21.  thou  hast  forsaken  me.  The  Lord  shall  make  the 
pestilence  cleave  unto  thee,  until  he  have  consumed 
thee  from  off  the  land,  whither  thou  goest  in  to  possess 

22.  it.  The  Lord  shall  smite  thee  with  consumption,  and 
with  fever,  and  with  inflammation,  and  with  fiery  heat, 
and  with  the  sword,^  and  with  blasting,  and  with  mil- 
dew, and  they  shall  pursue  thee  until  thou  perish. 

23.  And  thy  heaven  that  is  over  thy  head  shall  be  brass, 

24.  and  the  earth  that  is  under  thee  shall  be  iron.  The 
Lord  shall  make  the  rain  of  thy  land  powder  and  dust : 
from  heaven  shall  it  come  down  upon  thee,  until  thou 

25.  be  destroyed.  The  Lord  shall  cause  thee  to  be 
smitten  before  thine  enemies :  thou  shalt  go  out  one 
way  against  them,  and  shalt  flee  seven  ways  before 
them:  and  thou  shalt  be  ^  tossed  to  and  fro  among  ^  all 

26.  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth.    And  thy  carcase  shall  be 

^  m.  and  Vg.  drought.        '  m.  o  terror  unto. 

forsaken  me,  and  a  word  doings,  which  is  common  in  Jeremiah 
and  occurs  here  only  in  Deut.,  hence  it  may  be  an  addition. 

21.  Pestilence,  an  epidemic  disease  causing  widespread  de- 
struction. 

22.  The  curse  is  for  the  sake  of  impressiveness  presented  in 
sevenfold  form;  the  calamities  will  fall  upon  the  earth  and  its 
inhabitants.  With  the  sword :  it  suits  the  connection  better  to 
follow  the  translation  of  the  margin  with  drought;  in  the  original 
the  two  forms  are  similar. 

23.  The  curse  will  rest  upon  the  heavens  so  that  they  cannot 
give  rain  upon  the  earth,  and,  lacking  this  stimulus,  it  cannot  bring 
forth  fruit,  Lev.  26  :  19. 

24.  Instead  of  a  fructifying  rain  there  will  be  showers  of  fine 
dust  caused  by  the  hot  desert  wind,  the  sirocco. 

25.  The  curse  is  expressed  even  more  strongly  than  the  bless- 
ing of  V.  7.  Tossed  to  and  fro  among,  better  with  the  margin, 
a  terror  unto,  i.e.  an  object  of  terror,  a  sight  causing  shuddering 
and  dread. 

26-37.  Probably  an  expansion  with  illustrations  from  the  Exile. 
197 


28:27  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

meat  unto  all  ^  fowls  of  the  air,  and  unto  the  beasts  of 
the  earth,  and  there  shall  be  none  to  fray  them  away. 

27.  The  Lord  shall  smite  thee  with  the  boil  of  Egypt, 
and  with  the  emerods,^  and  with  the  scurvy,  and  with 

28.  the  itch,  whereof  thou  canst  not  be  healed.  The  Lord 
shall  smite  thee  with  madness,  and  with  blindness,  and 

29.  with  astonishment  of  heart :  and  thou  shalt  grope  at 
noonday,  as  the  bUnd  gropeth  in  darkness,  and  thou 
shalt  not  prosper  in  thy  ways :  and  thou  shalt  be  only 
oppressed  and  spoiled  alway,  and  there  shall  be  none 

30.  to  save  thee.  Thou  shalt  betroth  a  wife,  and  another 
man  shall  lie  with  her :  thou  shalt  build  an  house,  and 
thou  shalt  not  dwell  therein:  thou  shalt  plant  a  vine- 

31.  yard,  and  shalt  not  use  the  fruit  thereof.  Thine  ox 
shall  be  slain  before  thine  eyes,  and  thou  shalt  not  eat 
thereof  :  thine  ass  shall  be  violently  taken  away  from 
before  thy  face,  and  shall  not  be  restored  to  thee :  thy 
sheep  shall  be  given  unto  thine  enemies,  and  thou  shalt 

32.  have  none  to  save  thee.  Thy  sons  and  thy  daughters 
shall  be  given  unto  another  people,  and  thine  eyes  shall 

*  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  om.  all.       *  m.  tumours  or  plague  boils. 

26.  To  feel  the  force  of  this  we  must  remember  that  in  those 
days  the  lack  of  an  honorable  burial  was  regarded  as  in  itself 
a  terrible  curse  and  deprivation,  2  Sam.  21 :  10. 

27.  Various  forms  of  skin  diseases,  swellings,  and  eruptions  of 
an  incurable  kind,  regarded  as  a  special  curse  of  God ;  see  the  case 
of  Job. 

28.  The  result  of  all  these  ills  will  be  mental  confusion,  destroy- 
ing all  hope,  ending  in  perplexity  and  panic. 

29.  A  striking  picture  of  utter  helplessness  and  hopelessness, 
Isa.  59  :  10.  Though  they  grope  about  after  many  ways,  all  ways 
shall  lead  to  ruin. 

30-34.  After  this  comprehensive  statement  here  are  particular 
features  of  suffering  which  come  to  those  who  are  conquered  by  a 
cruel  enemy.  A  man's  house  and  wife  were  taken  from  him,  the 
produce  of  his  fields  consumed  by  strangers,  and  his  children 

198 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  28 

look,  and  fail  with  longing  for  them  all  the  day :  and 
there  shall  be  nought  in  the  power  of  thine  hand.^ 

33.  The  fruit  of  thy  ground,  and  all  thy  labours,  shall  a 
nation  which  thou  knowest  not  eat  up ;  and  thou  shalt 

34.  be  only  oppressed  and  crushed  alway:  so  that  thou 
shalt  be  mad  for  the  sight  of  thine  eyes  which  thou 

35.  shalt  see.  The  Lord  shall  smite  thee  in  the  knees,  and 
in  the  legs,  with  a  sore  boil,  whereof  thou  canst  not  be 
healed,  from  the  sole  of  thy  foot  unto  the  crown  of  thy 

36.  head.  The  Lord  shalP  bring  thee,  and  thy  king 
which  thou  shalt  set  over  thee,  unto  a  nation  which 
thou  hast  not  known,  thou  nor  thy  fathers ;  and  there 
shalt  thou  serve  other  gods,  wood  and  stone.    And 

37.  thou  shalt  become  an  astonishment,  a  proverb,  and  a 
byword,  among  all  the  peoples  whither  the  Lord  shall 
lead  thee  away. 

38.  Thou  shalt  carry  much  seed  out  into  the  field,  and  D 

^  Syr.  hands.        '  SV  substitutes  will  for  shall  several  times  in  this  chapter. 

sold  into  slavery.  If  we  would  realize  how  horrible  war  was  in 
those  days,  and  how  much  we  ought  to  be  grateful  for  the  bless- 
ings of  peace,  we  need  only  note  the  varied  features  of  this  terrible 
picture,  a  picture  drawn  from  sad  experience.  All  these  things 
take  place  before  a  man's  eyes,  so  that  he  is  led  to  think  that  those 
who  are  dead  received  the  better  part. 

34.  No  wonder  the  survivors  who  live  through  all  this  are 
maddened  and  driven  to  desperation. 

35.  Refers  to  a  terrible  form  of  leprosy  that  attacked  the  joints. 
Compare  Job  2 :  8.  The  verse  is  probably  a  repetition  in  a 
slightly  different  form  taken  from  v.  27. 

36.  For  the  form  of  expression,  see  17:  15.  Having  rejected 
the  divine  king,  they  will  be  carried  away,  king  and  all,  into  a 
foreign  land,  where  idolatry  will  be  forced  upon  them. 

37.  Their  sorrow  will  be  aggravated  by  the  fact  that  outsiders, 
startled  by  such  an  overthrow,  will  make  them  the  object  of  sharp, 
cutting  remarks,  saying  "Where  is  now  your  God?" 

38-46.  This  section  starts  from  a  thought  similar  to  that 
199 


28:39  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

shalt  gather  little  in ;  for  the  locust  shall  consume  it. 

39.  Thou  shalt  plant  vineyards  and  dress  them,  but  thou 
shalt  neither  drink  of  the  wine,  nor  gather  the  grapes; 

40.  for  the  worm  shall  eat  them.  Thou  shalt  have  oHve 
trees  throughout  all  thy  borders,  but  thou  shalt  not 
anoint  thyself  with  the  oil ;  for  thine  oUve  shall  cast  its 

41.  fruit.  Thou  shalt  beget  sons  and  daughters,  but  they 
shall  not  be  thine;   for  they  shall  go  into  captivity. 

42.  All  thy  trees  and  the  fruit  of  thy  ground  shall  the  locust 

43.  possess.  The  stranger  ^  that  is  in  the  midst  of  thee 
shall  mount  up  above  thee  higher  and  higher;    and 

44.  thou  shalt  come  down  lower  and  lower.  He  shall  lend 
to  thee,  and  thou  shalt  not  lend  to  him:  he  shall  be  the 

45.  head,  and  thou  shalt  be  the  tail.  And  all  these 
curses  shall  come  upon  thee,  and  shall  pursue  thee, 
and  overtake  thee,  till  thou  be  destroyed;  because 
thou  hearkenedst  not  unto  the  voice  of  the  Lord  thy 
God,  to  keep  his  commandments  and  his  statutes 

^  SV  sojourner,  throughout  the  book,  except  s :  14. 

expressed  in  v.  22  and  covers  about  the  same  ground,  with  slight 
variations. 

38.  The  failure  of  the  crop,  in  spite  of  abundant  sowing.  Hag. 
1:6;   Mic.  6 :  15.     For  the  plague  of  locusts,  see  Joel  2. 

39.  The  vine,  the  olive,  and  the  corn  (wheat)  were  the  impor- 
tant crops  of  Palestine  upon  which  the  people  depended  for 
sustenance  and  comfort ;  they  shall  all  fail ;  the  blight  of  barrenness 
is  a  sure  sign  of  God's  curse. 

41.  The  same  thought  is  expressed  in  even  stronger  form  in  v.  32. 

43.  Just  the  opposite  of  v.  13.  The  stranger,  i.e.  the  sojourner 
(10 :  19),  who  is  not  dependent  to  the  same  extent  on  the  soil,  will 
become  richer  than  the  Israelites,  to  whom  they  were  formally 
indebted.  In  Russia  to-day  the  peasants  or  landed  proprietors 
are  often  in  debt  to  the  Jews,  who  themselves  are  only  sojourners 
in  the  land.  The  idea  lying  behind  all  this  exhortation  is  that 
disobedience  to  the  will  of  God  causes  a  reversal  of  the  laws  which 
bring  peace  and  prosperity  and  produces  abnormal  conditions. 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  28  :  50 

46.  which  he  commanded  thee :  and  they  shall  be  upon 
thee  for  a  sign  and  for  a  wonder,  and  upon  thy  seed  for 

47.  ever :   because  thou  servedst  not  the  Lord  thy  God  D^ 
with  joy  fulness,  and  with  gladness  of  heart,  by  reason 

48.  of  the  abundance  of  all  things:  therefore  shalt  thou 
serve  thine  enemies  ^  which  the  Lord  shall  send  against 
thee,  in  hunger,  and  in  thirst,  and  in  nakedness,  and  in 
want  of  all  things:  and  he  shall  put  a  yoke  of  iron 

49.  upon  thy  neck,  until  he  have  destroyed  thee.  The 
Lord  shall  bring  a  nation  against  thee  from  far,  from 
the  end  of  the  earth,  as  the  eagle  flieth,  a  nation  whose 

50.  tongue  thou  shalt  not  understand;  a  nation  of  fierce 

1  Vg.  enemy. 

46.  Sets  forth  in  striking  form  the  absolute  and  permanent 
nature  of  the  curse  upon  disobedience.  It  shall  be  a  sign  of  God's 
justice  and  a  wonder  that  arrests  the  attention  of  men,  and  the 
tragic  consequences  shall  cling  to  the  coming  generations.  For 
the  possibility  of  restoration  after  repentance,  see  4 :  29 ;  30 :  1-2. 

47-68.  The  remainder  of  the  chapter  brings  additional  features 
to  the  deso-iption  of  the  curse  already  given,  dwelling  specially 
upon  the  horrors  which  result  from  foreign  conquest  and  oppres- 
sion. 

47.  This  is  a  characteristic  thought  of  Deut.,  that  the  abun- 
dance of  God's  gifts  may  become  a  means  of  leading  men  to  arro- 
gant forgetfulness  and  wicked  self-conceit,  6  :  10-12  ;  8 :  11-18. 

48.^  These  words  may  have  been  written  at  a  time  when  the 
Israelites  were  actually  groaning  under  the  burden  of  foreign 
oppression.     For  the  yoke  of  iron,  see  Jer.  28 :  14. 

49.  The  conquering  nation  is  to  come  from  afar.  The  centre 
of  the  Babylonian  empire  was  a  great  distance  from  Palestine, 
and  by  the  Israelites,  with  their  limited  knowledge  of  geography, 
might  well  be  called  the  end  of  the  earth,  Isa.  5 :  26.  The  lan- 
guage of  the  Assyrians  and  Babylonians,  though  belonging  to  the 
same  family  as  that  of  the  Hebrews,  was  yet  sufficiently  different 
to  be  foreign  to  them,  Isa.  28:11;  33:19;  Jer.  5:15.  The 
swift  and  sudden  movement  of  those  great  armies  made  a  terrible 
impression  on  the  smaller  peoples,  as  the  eagle  flieth,  lit.,  as  the 
vulture  darteth,  Jer.  48  :  40 ;   49  :  22 ;   Hab.  i :  8. 

50.  This  picture  of  the  grim,  ruthless  Chaldeans  is  drawn  from 

201 


28:51  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

countenance,  which  shall  not  regard  the  person  of  the 

51.  old,  nor  shew  favour  to  the  young:  and  he  shall  eat 
the  fruit  of  thy  cattle,  and  the  fruit  of  thy  ground, 
*  until  thou  be  destroyed :  ^  which  also  shall  not  leave 
thee  corn,2  wine,  or  oil,  the  increase  of  thy  kine,  or  the 
young  of  thy  flock,  until  he  have  caused  thee  to  perish. 

52.  And  he  shall  besiege  thee  in  all  thy  gates,  until  thy 
high  and  fenced^  walls  come  down,  wherein  thou 
trustedst,  throughout  all  thy  land:  and  he  shall  besiege 
thee  in  all  thy  gates  throughout  all  thy  land,  which 

53.  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  given  thee.  And  thou  shalt 
eat  the  fruit  of  thine  own  body,  the  flesh  of  thy  sons 
and  of  thy  daughters  which  the  Lord  thy  God  hath 
given  thee ;  in  the  siege  and  *  in  the  straitness,  where- 
with thine  enemies  shall  straiten  thee.* 

54.  The  man  that  is  tender  among  you,  and  very  deli- 
cate, his  eye  shall  be  evil  toward  his  brother,  and 
toward  the  wife  of  his  bosom,  and  toward  the  rem- 

55.  nant  of  his  children  which  he  hath  remaining:    so 

1  Gr.  om.         »  Sam.  Syr.  add  or  (and).  »  SV  fortified.  *  SV  in  the  distress 

wherewith  thine  enemies  shall  distress  thee;  also  in  vs.  55  and  57. 

real    life   and   sharp  experience.     Fierce  countenance,  lit.,  m. 

strong  of  face,  i.e.  have  a  face  that  is  firm,  unmoved  by  any  feeling 
of  justice  or  pity. 

52.  There  is  to  be  a  general  siege  of  the  strong  places.  In 
those  days  the  strong  walls  even  of  a  small  city  could  offer  con- 
siderable resistance  to  a  mighty  foe,  and  a  stubborn  people  were 
in  danger  of  trusting  to  this  more  than  to  the  righteousness  of 
their  cause  and  the  reasonableness  of  their  temper.  The  laws  of 
war  were  just  the  opposite  of  humane,  and  those  who  had  been 
long  held  at  bay  rushed,  at  the  moment  of  success,  into  unmen- 
tionable cruelties. 

53.  For  such  horrors,  not  at  all  imaginary,  see  2  Kgs.  6:  28; 
Jer.  19  :  9 ;   Ezek.  5  :  10 ;  Lam.  2  :  20 ;  4  :  10. 

54.  The  sufferings  and  terrors  are  so  great  that  all  natural 
affections  and  bonds  of  kindness  are  destroyed. 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  28:59 

that  he  will  not  give  to  any  of  them  of  the  flesh  of  his 
children  whom  he  shall  eat,  because  he  hath  nothing 
left  him ;  in  the  siege  and  in  the  straitness,  wherewith 

56.  thine  enemy  shall  straiten  thee  in  all  thy  gates.  The 
tender  and  delicate  woman  among  you,  which  would 
not  adventure  to  set  the  sole  of  her  foot  upon  the 
ground  for  delicateness  and  tenderness,  her  eye  shall 
be  evil  toward  the  husband  of  her  bosom,  and  toward 

57.  her  son,  and  toward  her  daughter;  and  toward  her 
young  one  that  cometh  out  from  between  her  feet, 
and  toward  her  children  ^  which  she  shall  bear ;  for  she 
shall  eat  them  for  want  of  all  things  secretly :  in  the 
siege  and  in  the  straitness,  wherewith  thine  enemy 

58.  shall  straiten  thee  in  thy  gates.    If  thou  wilt  not  ob-  D 
serve  to  do  all  the  words  of  this  law  that  are  written 

in  this  book,  that  thou  mayest  fear  this  glorious  and 

59.  fearful  name,  the  lord  thy  god  ;   then  the  Lord  will 

1  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  child  or  son. 

57.  The  woman  who  has  lived  in  luxury,  only  going  forth  into 
the  street  when  carried  in  a  magnificent  litter  and  bravely  at- 
tended, will  now  be  driven  into  utter  destitution  and  will  be  guilty 
of  the  most  horrible  coarseness  and  greed.  It  is  a  relief  to  think 
that  there  are  many  who  would  prefer  death  in  any  form  rather 
than  sink  to  this  depth  of  degradation.  The  suggestive  phrase 
in  the  siege  and  in  the  straitness,  etc.,  which  is  so  terribly  illus- 
trated, occurs  three  times  here  and  also  in  Jer.  19:9. 

58.  This  law  is  already  regarded  as  written  and  presented  in 
book  form ;  see  31:9,  where  Moses  is  first  said  to  have  written  the 
Deuteronomic  Law.  Compare  17:19.  Yahweh  thy  God.  In 
the  thought  of  those  days  the  name  was  not  the  mere  sound  or 
label,  but  the  being  and  character.  In  later  times  the  "  name  " 
stands  for  the  whole  sum  and  content  of  the  religion,  Isa.  59 :  19 ; 
Mai.  3:  20;  Ps.  61:  6.  Finally,  reverence  for  the  actual  form, 
the  very  letter,  was  carried  to  such  a  superstitious  extent  that  the 
Name  was  not  pronounced,  and  in  Greek  and  English  "  Lord  " 
took  its  place. 

203 


28  :  6o  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

make  thy  plagues  wonderful,  and  the  plagues  of  thy 
seed,  even  great  plagues,  and  of  long  continuance, 

60.  and  sore  sicknesses,  and  of  long  continuance.  And  he 
will  bring  upon  thee  again  all  the  diseases  ^  of  Egj^t, 
which  thou  wast  afraid  of ;  and  they  shall  cleave  unto 

61.  thee.  Also  every  sickness,  and  every  plague,  which 
is  not  written  in  the  book  of  this  law,  them  will  the 

D^  62.  Lord  bring  upon  thee,  imtil  thou  be  destroyed.  And 
ye  shall  be  left  few  in  number,  whereas  ye  were  as 
the  stars  of  heaven  for  multitude ;  because  thou  didst 
not  hearken  unto  the  voice  of  the  Lord  thy  God. 

63.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  as  the  Lord  rejoiced 
over  you  to  do  you  good,  and  to  multiply  you;  so 
the  Lord  will  rejoice  over  you  to  cause  you  to  perish, 
and  to  destroy  you;  and  ye  shall  be  plucked  from 
off  the  land  whither  thou  goest  in  to  possess  it. 

64.  And  the  Lord  shall  scatter  thee  among  all  peoples, 
from  the  one  end  of  the  earth  even  unto  the  other  end 

*  So  read  Sam.  Syr.  Tar.  Vg. ;  Heb.  every  disease. 

59.  The  exceptional  character  and  long  duration  of  these 
strokes  of  God  is  again  dwelt  upon. 

60.  The  promises  given  in  times  of  faithfulness  and  hope  are 
thus  reversed,  7 :  15. 

61.  As  if  the  terror  of  all  these  specific  threats  was  not  suflS- 
cient,  all  possible  ills  are  included  to  insure  complete  destruction. 
The  phrase  usually  runs,  "  this  book  of  the  law,"  29  :  28 ;  39  :  10 ; 
31:26. 

63.  This  and  the  previous  verse  points  to  a  reversal  of  all  the 
great  promises  given  to  Israel  and  to  the  fathers,  26 :  5.  It  is  a 
tremendously  bold  stroke  to  represent  Yahweh  as  having  the  same 
joy  in  destruction  as  he  once  had  in  blessing.  Compare  the 
passionate  struggle  ascribed  to  Yahweh  in  Hos.  11:8.  It  shows 
what  a  high  value  is  placed  on  conformity  to  the  Law,  and  how 
far  men  have  travelled  from  the  tribal  stage  when  the  destruction 

-jB-    .of  a  nation  meant  the  death  of  its  god. 

64.  A   widespread  dispersion,   which  had  already  begun,  is 

204 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  28:68 

of  the  earth;  and  there  thou  shalt  serve  other  gods, 
which  thou  hast  not  known,  thou  nor  thy  fathers, 

65.  even  wood  and  stone.  And  among  these  nations  shalt 
thou  find  no  ease,  and  there  shall  be  no  rest  for  the 
sole  of  thy  foot :  but  the  Lord  shall  give  thee  there 
a  trembHng  heart,  and  faiUng  of  eyes,  and  pining  of 

66.  soul :  and  thy  hfe  shall  hang  in  doubt  before  thee ;  and 
thou  shalt  fear  night  and  day,  and  shalt  have  none^ 

67.  assurance  of  thy  life:  in  the  morning  thou  shalt  say, 
Would  God  it  were  even  !  and  at  even  thou  shalt  say, 
Would  God  2  it  were  morning !  for  the  fear  of  thine 
heart  which  thou  shalt  fear,  and  for  the  sight  of  thine 

68.  eyes  which  thou  shalt  see.     And  the  Lord  shall  bring 

^SY  no.        «  SV  om.  God. 

here  predicted ;  this  has  been  fulfilled  in  a  larger  sense  than  even 
this  prophet  dreamed  of,  but  at  the  same  time  the  wonderful 
strength  and  persistence  of  the  religion  has  been  shown.  While 
under  the  first  shock  of  exile,  no  doubt,  many  individuals  lost  their 
faith,  yet  as  a  race  they  learned  to  sing  Yahweh's  song  in  a  foreign 
land  (Ps.  137)  and  stood  out  before  the  world  as  the  inflexible 
opponents  of  idolatry. 

65.  The  chapter  closes  with  a  vivid  description  of  the  restless, 
troubled  condition  of  the  people  in  exile.  The  O.  T.  is  rich  in 
what  may  be  called  the  poetry  of  sorrow ;  its  phrases  for  the  ex- 
pression of  disappointment,  pain,  and  anxiety  were  not  coined 
by  mere  students  of  literature.  They  reflect  the  tragic  realities 
of  the  darkest  experience.  They  tell  of  those  bitter  hours  when 
men  realize  most  keenly  their  need  of  God.  Rest  is  regarded  as 
the  condition  of  prosperous  life  and  regular  worship,  12  :  10.  The 
heart  is  agitated  ;  the  eyes  fail,  looking  in  vain  for  the  blessing ;  the 
soul  languishes,  consumed  with  fruitless  anxiety. 

66.  lliy  life  shall  hang  in  doubt  before  thee,  lit.,  thy  life  shall 
be  hung  up  for  thee  in  front,  as  if  suspended  by  a  single  thread  that 
might  break  at  any  moment.  Night  and  day  are  full  of  fears ; 
there  is  no  sense  of  security. 

67.  A  vivid  picture  of  one  who  is  in  agony  of  uncertainty ;  see 
Job.  7 :  4.  For  the  general  spirit  of  the  passage,  compare  Lev. 
26 :  36  f. 

205 


28  :  68  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

thee  into  Egypt  again  with  ships,  by  the  way  whereof  I 
said  unto  thee,  Thou  shalt  see  it  no  more  again :  and 
there  ye  shall  sell  yourselves  unto  your  ^  enemies  for 
bondmen  and  for  bondwomen,  and  no  man  shall  buy 
you. 

1  So  read  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar. ;  Heb.  thy. 

68.  So  complete  will  be  the  reversal  of  the  redemption  that 

they  will  go  back  to  Egypt  in  Phoenician  slave-galleys,  and  will 

be  willing  to  purchase  life  by  ofifering  themselves  as  slaves,  but 

even  their  enemies  will  be  unwilling  to  purchase  those  upon  whom 

--  there  rests  such  a  manifest  curse  of  God. 


2o6 


C.  CLOSING    SPEECHES    AND    NARRATIVES; 

Chaps.  29-34 

I.  A  Speech  of  Exhortation  and  Consolation; 
Chaps.  29,  30 

29.  These  are  the  words  of  the  covenant  which  the  D^  29:2 
Lord  commanded  Moses  to  make  with  the  children 
of  Israel  in  the  land  of  Moab,  beside  the  covenant 
which  he  made  with  them  in  Horeb. 
2.  And  Moses  called  unto  all  Israel,  and  said  unto 
them,  Ye  have  seen  all  that  the  Lord  did  before  your 
eyes  in  the  land  of  Egypt  unto  Pharaoh,  and  unto 

29,  30.  A  speech  of  exhortation  and  consolation  attributed  to 
Moses. 

Chapter  29  is  an  exhortation  which  seems  in  some  parts  at  least 
to  reflect  the  circumstances  of  the  Exile.  There  is  some  uncer- 
tainty as  to  the  relationship  of  v.  i,  which  in  the  Hebrew  version 
is  the  last  verse  of  the  previous  chapter ;  whether  we  should  call 
it  a  subscription  to  28  or  a  superscription  to  29,  it  may  be  regarded 
as  a  link  between  the  two,  then  these  are  the  words  of  the  cove- 
nant will  refer  to  what  has  gone  before,  while  in  the  land  of  Moab 
will  define  the  situation  in  which  the  following  speech  is  supposed 
to  have  been  given;   see  v.  7. 

1-5.  A  covenant  was  made  at  Horeb  (Sinai)  when  the  Israel- 
ites came  out  of  Egypt,  and  then  after  the  long  wandering  in  the 
wilderness  the  covenant  was  renewed  and  enlarged  in  the  land 
of  Moab  immediately  before  the  death  of  Moses  and  the  crossing 
of  the  Jordan,  4:13;  5:2. 

2-9.  A  reminder  of  what  Yahweh  has  done  for  them  in  the 
past.  It  is  similar  to  the  retrospects  given  in  the  earlier  chapters. 
The  two  generations  are  drawn  together,  as  in  chaps.  1-3. 

2.  Moses  calls  all  Israel  together,  as  in  5 :  i,  and  calls  to  mind 
the  wonders  of  the  Exodus,  as  in  7 :  19. 

207 


29:3  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


3.  all  his  servants,  and  unto  all  his  land;  the  great 
temptations^  which  thine  eyes  saw,  the  signs,  and  those 

4.  great  wonders:  but  the  Lord  hath  not  given  you 
an  heart  to  know,  and  eyes  to  see,  and  ears  to  hear, 

5.  unto  this  day.  And  I  have  led  you  forty  years  in 
the  wilderness :  your  clothes  are  not  waxen  old  upon 
you,  2  and  thy  shoe  is  not  waxen  old  upon  thy  foot :  ^ 

6.  Ye  have  not  eaten  bread,  neither  have  ye  drunk 
wine  or  strong  drink :  that  ye  might  know  that  I  am 

7.  the  Lord  your  God.  And  when  ye  came  unto  this 
place,  Sihon  the  king  of  Heshbon,  and  Og  the  king 
of  Bashan,  came  out  against  us  unto  battle,  and  we 

8.  smote  them :  and  we  took  their  land,  and  gave  it  for 
an  inheritance  unto  the  Reubenites,  and  to  the  Gadites 

9.  and  to  the  half  tribe  of  the  Manassites.  Keep  there- 
fore the  words  of  this  covenant,  and  do  them,  that  ye 
may  prosper^  in  all  that  ye  do. 

D^  10.       Ye  stand  this  day  all  of  you  before  the  Lord  your 

1  SV  trials.  *  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  Vg.  your  shoes  are  not  waxen  old  upon  your  feet. 
»  m.  deal  wisely. 

4.  It  is  possible  for  men  to  behold  striking  facts  of  history 
without  perceiving  their  spiritual  significance,  their  divine  mean- 
ing. This  is  in  all  ages  a  part  of  the  real  tragedy  of  life,  Isa. 
6:  10;   Jer.  5:  21. 

5.  See  2:7;  8:2;  and  Amos  2 :  10. 

6.  The  emphasis,  as  in  chap.  8,  is  on  the  miraculous  provision 
made  for  Israel  in  the  wilderness.  God's  power  was  shown  most 
clearly  when  the  ordinary  means  of  sustenance  were  lacking. 
The  change  to  the  direct  speech  of  Yahweh  is  peculiar,  unless  it 
is  a  quotation  of  a  current  formula ;  such  change  is  very  common 
in  Ezekiel  and  the  Priestly  Code ;  see  also  Exod.  10 :  2  (JE)  and 
I  Kgs.  29:  13. 

7.  For  these  events,  see  2  :  32  f.  and  3 :  i,  3,  8,  12  f. 

9.  Prosper;  this  word  may  be  rendered,  as  in  the  m.,  deal 
wisely;  it  means  that  you  may  understand  how  to  apply  these 
principles  to  your  present  life  so  as  to  secure  real  success. 

208 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  29  :  14 

God ;  ^  your   heads,  your   tribes/  your  elders,^  and 

11.  your  officers,  even  all  the  men  of  Israel,  your  httle 
ones,^  your  wives,  and  thy  stranger  that  is  in  the 
midst  of  thy  camps,*  from  the  hewer  of  thy  wood^ 

12.  unto  the  drawer  of  thy  water:  that  thou  shouldest 
enter  into  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  into 
his  oath,  which  the  Lord  thy  God  maketh  with  thee 

13.  this  day:   that  he  may  establish  thee  this  day  unto  D^ 
himself  for  a  people,  and  that  he  may  be  unto  thee 

a  God,  as  he  spake  unto  thee,  and  as  he  sware  unto 
thy  fathers,  to  Abraham,  to   Isaac,  and  to  Jacob. 

14.  Neither  with  you  only  do  I  make  this  covenant  and 

1  Gr.  the  heads  of  your  tribes.  '  Gr.  adds  your  pudges.  '  Sam.  Syr.  Vg.  add 

and  {your  wives).     Gr.  reads  your  wives  and  your  children.  *  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar. 

camp.        *  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  add  even. 

10-29.  The  covenant  is  for  the  present  and  coming  genera- 
tions ;  failure  to  keep  it  will  lead  to  national  disaster. 

10.  It  is  a  general  assembly  of  the  people  with  its  representa- 
tives, stationed  before  Yahweh  for  a  solemn  purpose.  Probably 
it  should  be  your  heads  (or  chiefs),  your  judges,  your  elders,  and 
your  officers. 

11.  The  covenant  comprehends  all  classes,  including  the 
stranger  (sojourner)  resident  within  Israel's  boundary.  The 
stranger  here  seems  to  have  a  somewhat  different  position  from 
that  assigned  to  him  in  the  other  passages,  10:18;  14:21; 
he  is  regarded  as  fully  incorporated  into  the  social  and  religious 
life  of  the  community.  For  the  duties  here  assigned  to  him,  see 
Josh.  9:  21  ff.  (P). 

12.  Enter  into,  lit.,  pass  over  into,  may  contain  a  reminiscence 
of  the  custom  of  passing  between  the  parts  of  the  sacrifice  when 
the  solemn  covenant  was  made.  Gen.  15  :  10 ;  Jer.  34 :  18  f.  Oath, 
lit.,  imprecation,  the  covenant  is  distinguished  from  a  simple 
oath  by  having  a  ceremony  with  solemn  sanctions  consisting  of 
mutual  imprecations.  Gen.  26:  28;   Neh.  10:  29. 

13.  This  verse  states  the  meaning  of  this  two-sided  covenant; 
it  establishes  a  living  relation  between  Yahweh  and  Israel,  but  it  is 
not  an  absolutely  new  thing,  it  is  the  recognition  and  expression  of 
Yahweh's  interest  in  Israel  and  kindness  to  the  preceding  genera- 
tion, Gen.  17:7-8?;  Gen.  26 :  24.     On  the  oath,  see  i :  8. 

P  209 


29  :  15  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

15.  this  oath;  but  with  him  that  standeth  here  with 
us  this  day  before  the  Lord  our  God,  and  also  with 

16.  him  that  is  not  here  with  us  this  day:  (for  ye  know 
how  we  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Egypt ;  and  how  we  came 
through  the  midst  of  the  nations  through  which  ye 

17.  passed;  and  ye  have  seen  their  abominations,  and 
their  idols,  wood  and  stone,  silver  and  gold,  which 

Heb.  12:15  18.  were  among  them:)  lest  there  should  be  among  you 
man,  or  woman,  or  family,  or  tribe,  whose  heart 
tumeth  away  ^  this  day  ^  from  the  Lord  our  God, 
to  go  to  serve  the  gods  of  those  nations;  lest  there 
should  be  among  you  a  root  that  beareth  gall^  and 

1  Gr.  om.        *  m.  Heb.  rosh,  a  poisonous  herb. 

15.  With  the  present  the  future  generations  are  included;  all 
the  generations  of  the  chosen  people  are  linked  into  one  by  the 
continuity  of  the  divine  mercy.     Compare  5:3. 

16.  The  great  danger  which  may  lead  to  the  breaking  of  the 
covenant  is  the  idolatry  of  those  nations  with  whom  they  have 
come  in  contact,  which,  while  it  may  be  detestable  to  their  teachers, 
has  powerful  attractions  for  the  common  people.  We  have  here 
expressed  in  terms  of  past  history  the  fierce  struggle  which  en- 
dured for  centuries. 

17.  Their  abominations,  and  their  idols.  Here  we  have  two 
very  contemptuous  terms  applied  to  the  idols  of  the  heathen. 
The  first  is  not  the  word  usually  translated  by  abomination  in 
Deut,,  but  a  word  which  occurs  only  here  in  the  Hex.,  but  is 
common  in  the  age  of  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel  when  the  battle  against 
foreign  religious  practices  was  fierce,  e.g.  detestable  thing,  Jer. 
16 :  18.  The  word  rendered  idols  or  idol-blocks  (AV  m.  dungy 
gods)  is  of  an  uncertain  meaning ;  it  occurs  only  once  more  in  the 
Hex.,  Lev.  26 :  30,  several  times  in  Kings,  and  39  times  in  Ezek. 
One  thing  is  certain,  viz.  that  it  embodies  a  bitter  and  contemp- 
tuous scorn  of  idolatry  which  is  natural  in  the  speech  of  men  who 
are  conscious  that  they  are  fighting  for  the  highest  truth  in  an 
hour  of  extreme  peril. 

18.  Take  heed  therefore  in  the  face  of  these  sad  examples, 
lest  there  should  be  among  you,  etc.  It  is  well  to  omit  "  this 
day  "  with  the  Gr.,  as  the  warning  is  not  confined  to  the  present. 
The  inclination  to  idolatry  is  described  as  a  root  that  brings  forth  as 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  29:22 

19.  wormwood;  and  it  come  to  pass,  when  he  heareth 
the  words  of  this  curse/  that  he  bless  himself  in  his 
heart,  saying,  I  shall  have  peace,  though  I  walk  in 
the  stubbornness  of  mine  heart,  ^  to  destroy  the  moist 

20.  with  the  dry:  ^  the  Lord  will  not  pardon  him,  but 
then  the  anger  of  the  Lord  and  his  jealousy  shall 
smoke  against  that  man,  and  all  the  curse  that  is 
written  in  this  book  shall  lie  ^  upon  him,  and  the  Lord 

21.  shall  blot  out  his  name  from  under  heaven.  And  the 
Lord  shall  separate  him  unto  evil  out  of  all  the  tribes 
of  Israel,  according  to  all  the  curses  of  the  covenant 

2  2 .  that  is  ^  written  in  this  book  of  the  law.  And  the  gener- 
ation to  come,  your  children  that  shall  rise  up  after 
you,  and  the  foreigner  that  shall  come  from  a  far  land, 
shall  say,  when  they  see  the  plagues  of  that  land, 
and  the  sicknesses  wherewith  the  Lord  hath  made  it 

^  m.  oath  (and  so  vs.  20,  21).        *  m.  to  add  drunkenness  to  thirst.  ^  Gr.  Tar. 

cleave,  or  adhere.       *  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  Vg.  read  are,  (i.e.  with  curses). 

its  fruit  poison  and  wormwood.     The  effects  are  deadly  as   well 
as  bitter. 

19.  To  destroy  the  moist  with  the  dry,  lit.,  to  sweep  away  the 
watered  and  the  dry,  i.e.  to  destroy  the  whole  land ;  that  which  is 
the  result  of  the  idolater's  action  is  here  put  as  if  it  were  his  delib- 
erate purpose. 

20.  Will  not  pardon ;  the  original  is  stronger,  lit.,  will  not  he 
willing  to  pardon  him,  because  he  has  sinned  wilfully  against  the 
light.  His  jealousy,  4 :  24.  The  smoke  of  the  divine  anger, 
Ps.  74 :  31.  Shall  lie  upon  him.  The  word  lie  is  used  of  animals, 
Gen.  4:7;  49  :  9,  and  represents  the  curse  as  an  animal  or  demon 
settling  down  upon  the  man.  The  Greek  and  the  Targum  have 
the  feebler  word  cleave  unto  him. 

22.  The  declaration  of  judgment  passes  now  from  the  indi- 
vidual idolator  to  the  nation  as  a  whole.  The  generation  to 
come ;  here  the  writer  addresses  the  people  of  a  time  later  than 
Moses,  and  seeks  to  impress  upon  them  his  great  thought  that  their 
national  misfortunes  are  the  result  of  disobeying  the  Law.  The 
inquiry  concerning  the  significance  of  these  calamities  is  put  dra- 
matically into  the  mouth  of  future  generations  and  of  foreigners. 


29:23  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

23.  sick;  and  that  the  whole  land  thereof  is  brimstone, 
and  salt,  and  a  burning,  that  it  is  not  sown,  nor  bear- 
eth,  nor  any  grass  groweth  therein,  like  the  over- 
throw of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  Admah  and  Zeboiim, 
which  the  Lord  overthrew  in  his  anger,  and  in  his 

24.  wrath:  even  all  the  nations  shall  say.  Wherefore^ 
hath  the  Lord  done  thus  unto  this  land  ?  what  meaneth 

25.  the  heat  of  this  great  anger?  Then  men  shall  say, 
Because  they  forsook  the  covenant  of  the  Lord,  the 
God  of  their  fathers,  which  he  made  with  them  when 

26.  he  brought  them  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt ;  and 
went  and  served  other  gods,  and  worshipped  them, 
gods  whom  2  they  knew  not,  and  whom  he  had  not 

27.  given ^  unto  them:  therefore  the  anger  of  the  Lord 
was  kindled  against  this  land,  to  bring  upon  it  all  the 

28.  curse  that  is  written  in  this  book:  and  the  Lord 
rooted  them  out  of  their  land  in  anger,  and  in  wrath, 
and  in  great  indignation,  and  cast  them  into  another 

29.  land,  as  at  this  day.    The  secret  things  belong  unto 

1  Sam.  Tar.  Syr.  read  and  why.        »  SV  that  for  whom.        »  m.  Heb.  divided. 

23.  The  whole  land  has  become  like  certain  barren  tracts  in 
the  region  of  the  Dead  Sea  covered  with  saline  and  bituminous 
matter  which  hinders  all  vegetation,  Gen.  19:  24;  Job  18:  15. 
"  God's  overthrow  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  "  is  evidently  an 
ancient  phrase,  and  standing  illustration  of  an  extreme  penalty, 
Amos.  4:11;  Isa.  i :  9,  etc.  For  Admah  and  Zeboiim,  see  Hos. 
11:8;   Gen.  14:  2, 

25.  For  the  same  words,  see  i  Kgs.  9:8;   Jer.  22 :  9. 

26.  Whom  he  had  not  apportioned  unto  them.  For  the  idea, 
see  4:  19. 

27.  This  verse  and  21  show  that  the  preacher  has  before  him 
the  written  book  with  its  laws  and  curses. 

28.  The  phraseology  of  this  verse  is  closely  related  to  Jer. ; 
see  21:5;   22  :  26 ;   32  :  27  of  that  book. 

29.  The  author  sets  the  past  and  future  in  contrast.  The 
future  is  in  the  hand  of  Yahweh.    He  will  guide  it  according  to  his 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  30:3 

the  Lord  our  God :  but  the  things  that  are  revealed 
belong  unto  us  and  to  our  children  for  ever,  that  we 
may  do  all  the  words  of  this  law. 
30.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  all  these  things  are  D^ 
come  upon  thee,  the  blessing  and  the  curse,  which 
I  have  set  before  thee,  and  thou  shalt  call  them  to 
mind  among  all  the  nations,  whither  the  Lord  thy 

2.  God  hath  driven  thee,  and  shalt  return  imto  the  Lord 
thy  God,  and  shalt  obey  his  voice  according  to  all 
that  I  command  thee  this  day,  thou  and  thy  children, 

3.  with  all  thine  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul ;  that  then 

good  pleasure,  and  reveal  it  in  due  time;  that  which  is  already 
revealed  belongs  to  us  and  in  the  form  of  history  shows  us  the 
importance  of  keeping  the  divine  laws.  Such  a  statement  belongs 
to  a  time  when  men  were  looking  back  sorrowfully  upon  the 
solemn  lessons  of  their  own  national  life.  It  does  not  contradict 
the  teaching  of  the  chapter,  which  does  not  give  absolute  predic- 
tions of  particular  events,  but  sets  forth  in  a  pictorial  fashion 
the  principle  that  the  people  of  Israel  will  sow  that  which  they 
reap. 

Chap.  30.  This  chapter  contains  a  consolatory  discourse  on  the 
efficacy  of  repentance  (1-14)  and  a  final  exhortation  that  is 
related  to  Chap.  28  (15-20).  The  first  section  reflects  the  cir- 
cumstances and  feelings  of  the  Exilic  period,  and  may  be  intended 
to  give  a  more  helpful  view  after  the  dark  threatening  of  29 ;  it 
is  a  sign  of  living  faith  that  many  of  these  teachers  were  con- 
vinced that  those  words  of  dreadful  doom  could  not  be  the  last  ut- 
terance from  a  merciful  God.  The  second  section  agrees  so  well 
in  spirit  and  style  with  the  earlier  exhortations  that  it  may  well 
be  a  part  of  the  original  book.  The  striking  passage  4:  29-31 
presents  in  brief  form  the  principle  that  is  more  fully  illustrated 
in  the  first  paragraph  of  this  chapter. 

1.  Turns  back  to  28 :  2-15.  Call  them  to  mind,  lit.,  bring  back 
to  thy  heart,  the  heart  being  in  O.  T.  psychology  the  seat  of  reflec- 
tion, Prov.  23  :  7.  Hath  driven  thee :  the  phrase  is  common  in 
this  connection  in  Jer.  (8:3;    16  :  15).    ' 

2.  The  repentance  to  be  effective  must  be  deep  and  sincere, 
as  we  would  say,  whole-hearted,  with  all  thine  heart,  and  with 
all  thy  soul,  4:  29;  6:5. 

3.  It  is  possible  that  there  is  a  play  on  words  or  sounds  such 

213 


1    3o:4 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


the  Lord  thy  God  will  turn  ^  thy  captivity,  and  have 
compassion  upon  thee,  and  will  return  and  gather 
thee  from  all  the  peoples,  whither  the  Lord  thy  God 

4.  hath  scattered  thee.  If  any  of  thine  outcasts  be  in  the 
uttermost  parts  of  heaven,  from  thence  will  the  Lord 
thy  God  gather  thee,  and  from  thence  will  he  fetch 

5.  thee :  and  the  Lord  thy  God  will  bring  thee  into  the 
land  which  thy  fathers  possessed,  and  thou  shalt 
possess  it ;  and  he  will  do  thee  good,  and  multiply 

6.  thee  above  thy  fathers.  And  the  Lord  thy  God  will 
circumcise  thine  heart,  and  the  heart  of  thy  seed,  to 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine  heart,  and  with 

7.  all  thy  soul,  that  thou  mayest  Uve.    And  the  Lord 

1  m.  return  to. 

as  the  Hebrews  loved ;  if  thou  wilt  turn  to  Yahweh  then  he  will 
given  a  decisive  turn  to  thy  fortune.  The  phrase  here  rendered 
turn  thy  captivity  has  a  more  general  meaning,  viz.  to  change  one's 
fortunes.  See  such  passages  as  Jer.  29  :  14 ;  Ezek.  29  :  14 ;  where, 
as  here,  the  specific  blessing  of  the  return  from  captivity  is  men- 
tioned separately.  See  a  strikingly  similar  collocation  of  phrases, 
Jer.  12:  15;  I  will  return  and  have  compassion  upon  them, 
33 :  26 ;  I  will  change  their  destiny  and  have  compassion  upon 
them. 

4.  At  one  time  the  Hebrews  had  a  more  limited  view  of  Yah- 
weh's  dominion ;  they  thought  that  to  be  driven  beyond  their  own 
special  territory  was  to  be  surrendered  to  the  power  of  other  gods 
(i  Sam.  26:  19),  but  now  they  have  learned  "to  sing  Yahweh's 
song  in  a  foreign  land  "  and  know  that  no  place  is  so  distant  as 
to  be  beyond  the  range  of  his  power,  28 :  64 ;  Neh.  i :  9.  The 
uttermost  parts  of  heaven,  the  remote  regions  where  the  solid 
vault  of  heaven  rests  upon  the  earth. 

6.  A  great  promise.  There  is  to  be  such  a  wonderful  thing  as 
spiritual  regeneration,  so  that  the  people  will  have  a  mind  quick 
to  perceive  the  truth  and  a  heart  to  obey  it.  It  is  probable  that 
the  idea  of  "  circumcision  of  the  heart "  originates  with  the  great 
prophet  Jeremiah.  This  is  one  of  the  places  where  the  O.  T. 
approaches  the  spirituality  of  the  Christian  religion.  See  on 
10  :  6,  and  compare  Jer.  31  :  33  ;   32  :  39 ;   Ezek.  11:19;   36  :  26. 

7.  The  curses  are  not  withdrawn,  but  are  turned  over  on  to 

214 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  30  :  12 

thy  God  will  put  all  these  curses  upon  thine  enemies, 
and  on  them  that  hate  thee,  which  ^  persecuted  thee. 

8.  And  thou  shalt  return  and  obey  the  voice  of  the 
LoRD,2  and  do  all  his  commandments  which  I  com- 

9.  mand  thee  this  day.  And  the  Lord  thy  God  will 
make  thee  plenteous  in  all  the  work  of  thine  hand,^ 
in  the  fruit  of  thy  body,  and  in  the  fruit  of  thy  cattle, 
and  in  the  fruit  of  thy  ground,  for  good :  for  the  Lord 
will  again  rejoice  over  thee  for  good,  as  he  rejoiced 
over  thy  fathers :  if  thou  shalt  obey  the  voice  of  the 

10.  Lord  thy  God,  to  keep  his  commandments  and  his 
statutes  which  are  written  in  this  book  of  the  law ; 
if  thou  turn  unto  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul. 

11.  For  this  commandment  which  I  command  thee  this 
day,  it  is  not  too  hard  ^  for  thee,  neither  is  it  far  off. 

12.  It  is  not  in  heaven,  that  thou  shouldest  say.  Who  Rom.  10: 
6-9 

1  SV  that  for  which.         «  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  add  thy  God.         »  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg. 
read  hands.        *  m.  wonderful. 

Israel's  enemies;  for  the  thought,  see  7  :  15.  The  statement  here 
disturbs  the  connection  and  may  be  an  adaptation  from  the 
former  place. 

8.  The  result  of  this  "  circumcision  of  the  heart  "  will  be  a 
return  to  God  in  the  spirit  of  loyal  obedience,  with  consequent 
prosperity,  28:1;    11:15. 

11-14.  A  clear  announcement  of  the  fact  that  these  require- 
ments of  religion  are  reasonable  and  attainable. 

11.  A  twofold  statement  that  the  commandment  is  not  a 
mystery  (Ps.  139 :  6)  beyond  human  comprehension,  it  has  a 
clearness,  definiteness,  and  simplicity  of  its  own;  and  it  is  not 
remote  from  man's  life,  it  is  not  hidden  in  some  far-off,  inacces- 
sible place.  We  may  regard  this  as  an  early  form  of  "  apologetic." 
Deuteronomy  destroyed  many  of  the  religious  customs  which 
were  near  to  the^  life  of  common  men,  and  bound  up  with  old 
associations,  but  it  brings  in  its  place  a  definite  comprehensive 
law. 

12.  In  this  and  the  next  verse  the  two  most  distant  places  are 

215 


30  :  13  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

shall  go  up  for  us  to  heaven,  and  bring  it  unto  us, 
and  make  us  to  hear  it,  that  we  may  do  it  ? 

13.  Neither  is  it  beyond  the  sea,  that  thou  shouldest 
say.  Who  shall  go  over  the  sea  for  us,  and  bring  it  unto 

14.  us,  and  make  us  to  hear  it,  that  we  may  do  it  ?  But 
the  word  is  very  nigh  unto  thee,  in  thy  mouth,  and 
in  thy  heart,  that  thou  mayest  do  it. 

D  15.       See,  I  have  set  before  thee  this  day  life  and  good. 


cited  heaven  above  and  beyond  the  sea,  and  we  are  told  that  there 
is  no  need  of  a  messenger  to  bring  the  law  from  those  distant 
regions.  Some  of  the  ancient  Rabbis  used  this  to  prove  that  the 
law  is  the  sum  of  all  wisdom,  saying  that  another  Moses  is  not 
needed  to  bring  the  Law  from  heaven  as  there  is  no  law  left 
behind  in  heaven.  That  view  of  the  finality  of  the  Law  would 
tend  to  arrest  all  further  progress  and  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that 
the  writer  of  this  passage  would  go  so  far.  That  view  led  to  the 
rejection  of  the  Great  Teacher. 

14.  The  revelation  is  near  and  in  such  a  form  that  it  can  be 
made  a  matter  of  reflection  (Ps.  1)  and  conversation  (6  :  7),  but  the 
end  of  all  this  is  the  practical  use  of  it  as  a  guide  to  right  conduct. 
Compare  St.  Paul's  application  of  this  to  the  living  faith  that 
apprehends  the  immediate  presence  and  power  of  the  Christ, 
Rom.  10:  8.  There  is  a  great  truth  in  assertions  concerning  the 
"  simplicity  "  of  the  gospel ;  but  if  we  take  them  in  a  shallow  con- 
ventional fashion,  we  may  lose  the  thought  of  the  mystic  beauty  and 
infinite  mystery  of  our  faith.  A  hard  and  fast  law  or  dogma  may 
finally  destroy  the  spirit  of  which  it  was  once  a  noble  embodiment. 

15-20.  The  closing  paragraph  of  this  chapter  is  also  the  closing 
section  of  the  great  exhortation  which  begins  in  6,  is  taken  up 
at  the  end  of  26,  and  runs  through  28.  It  presents  once  more 
the  clear  alternatives  which  are  the  objects  of  deliberate  choice, 
life  and  good,  and  death  and  evil. 

15.  Life.  This  does  not  mean,  as  it  might  do  in  the  N.  T., 
deeper  personal  experience  or  individual  immortality,  but  the 
present  and  future  blessedness  of  the  nation,  in  secure  possession 
of  the  Promised  Land.  Those  who  are  meek,  pious,  obedient 
to  the  law,  will  inherit  the  earth,  Ps.  37  :  11.  In  the  same  atmos- 
phere evil  and  good  mean  misfortune  and  prosperity.  The 
teaching  of  Deuteronomy  has  its  spiritual  side  (6 :  4)  but  a  dis- 
tinct doctrine  of  material  rewards  and  punishments  holds  a  prom- 
inent place  in  it. 

216 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  30  :  20 

16.  and  death  and  evil;  ^in  that  I  command  thee  this 
day  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God,  to  walk  in  his  ways, 
and  to  keep  his  commandments  and^  his  statutes  and 
his  judgements,^  that  thou  mayest  Hve  and  multiply, 
and  that  the  Lord  thy  God  may  bless  thee  in  the  land 
whither  thou  goest  in  to  possess  it. 

17.  But  if  thine  heart  turn  away,  and  thou  wilt  not 
hear,  but  shalt  be  drawn  away,  and  worship  other 

18.  gods,  and  serve  them ;  I  denounce  unto  you  this  day, 
that  ye  shall  surely  perish ;  ye  shall  not  prolong  your 
days  upon  the  land,  whither  thou  *  passest  over  Jor- 

19.  dan  to  go  in  to  possess  it.  I  call  heaven  and  earth 
to  witness  against  you  this  day,  that  I  have  set  before 
thee  Hfe  and  death,  the  blessing  and  the  curse: 
therefore  choose  life,  that  thou  mayest  live,  thou  and 

20.  thy  seed:  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God,  to  obey  his 
voice,  and  to  cleave  unto  him:   for  he^  is  thy  life, 

1  Gr.  inserts  if  thou  wilt  hearken  unto  the  commandments  of  Yahweh,  thy  God  (which 
I  command,  etc.).  *  Gr.  om.  and.  *  SV  ordinances.  *  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  ye. 

»  m.  that. 

16.  In  the  original  the  sentence  is  broken  at  the  beginning  so 
that  we  must  add  a  clause  from  the  Greek  version  thus:  "// 
thou  wilt  pay  attention  to  the  commandments  of  Yahweh  thy  God 
which  I  command,"  etc.     Compare  11 :  22  ;   19  :  9. 

Here  we  have  clearly  recognized  the  two  elements  in  religious . 
apostasy,  there  is  the  inward  turning,  the  inclination  towards  the 
sensuous  and  sensual,  then  there  is  the  strong  outward  attraction, 
people  are  drawn  away  by  some  popular  movement.  See  4 :  19, 
where  the  same  word,  let  one's  self  be  driven,  is  used  of  the  allure- 
ments of  star-worship. 

18.  I  denounce,  i.e.  I  declare;  the  same  word  is  rendered  prof  ess 
in  26  :  3.  For  the  sentiment  and  phrases  of  these  verses,  see  4:26; 
8 :  19. 

20.  He  is  thy  life.  Loyalty  to  him  is  the  condition  of  averting 
the  threatened  destruction  and  the  pledge  of  continued  national 
prosperity.  While  beginnings  of  individualism  may  be  traced 
in  Deuteronomy,  its  outlook  as  a  whole  is  national ;  thou  means 

217 


3i:i 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


and  the  length  of  thy  days :  that  thou  mayest  dwell 
in  the  land  which  the  Lord  sware  unto  thy  fathers, 
to  Abraham,  to  Isaac,  and  to  Jacob,  to  give  them. 

n.  The  Narrative  of  the  Last  Words  and  Deeds  of 
Moses;  Chaps.  31-34 

D'  31.      ^And  Moses  went  and  spake  ^  these  words  imto 
2.  all  Israel.    And  he  said  unto  them,  I  am  an  hundred 

1  Gr.  reads  And  Moses  finished  speaking  all  (these  words,  etc.). 

the  nation  as  a  political  and  religious  community.  Yahweh  is 
the  life  of  the  nation ;  its  charter  of  material  prosperity,  and  reli- 
gious purity  is  found  in  the  great  declaration  of  6 :  4-5.  One 
of  the  greatest  sermons  ever  preached  closes  with  this  splendid 
note ;  the  hope  of  the  preacher  was  disappointed  as  to  its  material 
form,  the  catastrophe  came  and  the  nation  was  shattered,  but  his 
inspired  and  inspiring  words  have  had  a  greater  influence  than  he 
dreamed  of,  they  helped  to  create  a  new  Church  that  has  played 
its  part  in  the  world,  they  have  gained  new  significance  as  cen- 
turies have  passed  away,  and  even  the  careless  world  would  not 
willingly  let  them  die. 

Chaps.  31-34.  The  last  days  of  Moses.  This  final  section  of 
the  book  consists  of  (i)  statements  concerning  the  appointment 
of  Joshua  as  the  successor  to  Moses  and  (2)  ordinances  for  the 
regular  reading  of  the  Deuteronomic  Law,  31;  (3)  introduction 
to  the  Song,  (4)  the  Song  of  Moses,  and  (5)  Yahweh's  decree  con- 
cerning his  death,  32 ;  (6)  the  Blessing  of  Moses,  33,  and  (7)  the 
account  of  his  death,  34. 

31.  This  chapter  is  composite ;  it  contains  parallel  accounts  of 
the  appointment  of  Joshua,  vs.  1-8,  and  14,  15,  23,  while  the 
remainder  contains  varied  elements. 

I.  Appointment  of  Joshua  as  successor  to  Moses;    31 :  1-8, 
14,  IS,  23 

1-8.  Moses  speaks  words  of  encouragement  to  the  people  and 
to  Joshua. 

I.  This  paragraph  should  be  compared  with  3:27,  28,  where 
Moses  is  commanded  to  take  the  view  of  the  Promised  Land  from 
Pisgah  and  then  give  the  charge  to  Joshua.  The  opening  words. 
And  Moses  went  and  spake  these  words,  are  difficult  to  explain, 

218 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  31:7 

and  twenty  years  old  this  day;    I  can  no  more  go 
out  and  come  in:   and  the  Lord  hath  said  unto  me, 

3.  Thou  shalt  not  go  over  this  Jordan.  The  Lord  thy 
God  ^  he  will  go  over  ^  before  thee ;  he  will  destroy 
these  nations  from  before  thee,  and  thou  shalt  possess  ^ 
them :  and  ^  Joshua,  ^  he  shall  go  over  ^  before  thee, 

4.  as  the  Lord  hath  spoken.  And  the  Lord  shall  do 
unto  them  as  he  did  to  Sihon  and  to  Og,  the  kings 
of  the  Amorites,  and  unto  their  land;   whom  he  de- 

5.  stroyed.  And  the  Lord  shall  deHver  them  up  before 
you,  and  ye  shall  do  unto  them  according  unto  all 
the  commandment  which  I  have  commanded  you. 

6.  Be  strong  and  of  a  good  courage,  fear  not,  nor  be 
affrighted  at  them:   for  the  Lord  thy  God,  he  it  is 

that  doth  go  with  thee;    he  will  not  fail  thee,  nor  Heb.  13:5 

7.  forsake  thee.    And  Moses  called  unto  Joshua,  and     ^ 
said  unto  him  in  the  sight  of  all  Israel,  Be  strong  and 

1  Sam.  Gr.  he  that  goeth  over.        *  SV  dispossess.        '  So  Sam.  Gr.,  Heb.  om.  and. 

and  it  is  most  natural  to  refer  them  to  something  that  has  gone 
before ;  so  after  29 :  1-2,  the  easiest  way  out  of  the  difficulty  is 
to  adopt  the  reading  of  the  Greek  version,  When  Moses  had  com- 
pleted these  words  to  all  Israel,  etc. 

2.  P  gives  the  same  age,  34 :  7 ;  Exod.  7:7;  but  in  the  first 
passage  adds  "  his  eye  was  not  yet  dim  nor  his  natural  force 
abated."  Here  we  are  told  that  Moses  is  no  longer  able  to  under- 
take the  duties  of  public  life.  See  on  28 :  6,  for  the  clause  go  out 
and  come  in.     Compare  3:27,  thou  shalt  not  go  over  this  Jordan. 

3.  Though  the  great  messenger  and  mediator,  Moses,  is  to  be 
removed,  yet  their  God  will  still  go  before  them  as  a  conquering 
power,  and  another  leader  shall  be  appointed  according  to  the 
promise  in  3 :  28,  from  which  place  the  last  clause  of  this  verse 
is  repeated.  The  intention  here  is  to  give  prominence  to  the 
thought  that  Yahweh  is  the  real  permanent  leader  of  Israel's 
hosts. 

5.  According  unto  all  the  commandment:  this  is  to  be  explained 
by  reference  to  Chap.  7,  where  the  relation  of  the  Israelites  to  alien 
and  conquered  peoples  is  fully  defined. 

219 


31  : 8  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

of  a  good  courage:  for  thou  shalt  ^go  with^  this 
people  into  the  land  which  the  Lord  hath  sworn  unto 
their  fathers  to  give  them;    and  thou  shalt   cause 

8.  them  to  inherit  it.  And  the  Lord,  he  it  is  that  doth 
go  before  thee;  he  will  be  with  thee,  he  will  not  fail 
thee,  neither  forsake  thee:  fear  not,  neither  be 
dismayed. 

9.  And  Moses  wrote  this  law,  and  delivered  it  unto 
the  priests  the  sons  of  Levi,  which  bare  the  ark  of 
the  covenant  of  the  Lord,  and  unto  all  the  elders  of 

10.  Israel.    And   Moses  commanded  them,   saying,   At 
the  end  of  every  seven  years,  in  the  set  time  of  the 

1  Sam.  Vg.  bring. 

7.  Go  with :  it  is  better  to  read  with  several  versions  "  bring  " 
this  people ;  he  is  not  merely  to  accompany  them,  but  is  to  be  a 
real  leader  in  a  situation  where  persistent  courage  and  living 
energy  will  be  a  constant  need. 

8.  But  the  great  leader,  the  successor  of  Moses,  can  only  rise 
to  these  heroic  heights  of  duty  and  service  by  seeing  him  who  is 
invisible  and  recognizing  the  constant  presence  of  the  Divine 
Guide.  He  will  not  fail,  lit.,  drop,  the  man  to  whom  he  has  given 
this  call. 

2.  Regulation  for  the  Public  Reading  of  the  Law;  31 :  9-13 

9-13.  Moses  ordains  that  the  Deuteronomic  Law  shall  be  read 
publicly  every  seven  years,  at  the  Feast  of  Booths,  in  the  Year  of 
Release.  The  paragraph  is  not  closely  connected  with  the  one 
immediately  preceding,  but  refers  to  the  legislation  in  the  earlier 
chapters ;  the  emphasis  here  is  not  on  the  writing  of  the  Law,  but 
on  the  fact  that  it  was  delivered  to  the  priests  the  sons  of  Levi 
for  a  special  purpose  hereafter  defined,  10  :  8  ;    19  :  i,  12. 

10.  For  the  Year  of  Release,  and  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  see 
15:  1-9;  16:  13-15.  Set  time,  from  a  verb  that  means  to  fix 
or  appoint  a  time,  is  a  more  general  term  than  that  used  for  pil- 
grimage or  festival  and  may  include  any  regular  appointed  day 
such  as  sabbath  or  New  Year,  The  rendering  solemn  feasts  in 
AV  is  accounted  for  etymologically,  where  solemn  has  the  sense 
of  Lat.  solemnis,  i.e.  stated. 

220 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  31:14 

11.  year  of  release,  in  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  when  all 
Israel  is  come  to  appear  before  the  Lord  thy  God  in 
the  place  which  he  shall  choose,  thou  ^  shalt  read  this 
law  before  all  Israel  in  their  hearing. 

12.  Assemble  the  people,  the  men  and  the  women  and 
the  Httle  ones,  and  thy  stranger  that  is  within  thy 
gates,  that  they  may  hear,  and  that  they  may  learn, 
and  fear  the  Lord  your  ^  God,  and  observe  to  do  all 

13.  the  words  of  this  law ;  and  that  their  children,  which 
have  not  known,  may  hear,  and  learn  to  fear  the 
Lord  your  ^  God,  as  long  as  ye  live  in  the  land  whither 
ye  ^  go  over  Jordan  to  possess  it.  --  i 

14.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Behold,  thy  days  je 
approach   that   thou   must   die:     call   Joshua,    and 

1  Gr.  ye.       *  Tar.  Syr.  their.       »  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  they. 

11.  To  appear  before  Yahweh  :  the  original  form  was  no  doubt 
to  see  the  face  of ;  consult  the  note  on  16  :  16.  Unless  this  charge 
was  originally  addressed  to  Joshua  and  has  been  modified  in 
favor  of  the  priest  and  elders,  we  should  read  the  plural  with  the 
Greek,  Ye  shall  read. 

12.  Every  class  in  the  community  is  to  be  represented  at  the 
reading  of  the  Deuteronomic  Law,  as  it  deals  with  the  rights  and 
duties  of  all  classes ;  and  such  a  public  function  reminds  them  that 
they  are  bound  together  by  ties  stronger  than  those  of  blood  and 
material  interest,  viz.  obedience  to  One  Supreme  Lord. 

13.  The  insistence  on  the  fact  that  religion  is  a  subject  that 
can  be  taught  to  the  children  and  thus  handed  down  to  coming 
generations  is  a  marked  feature  of  Deut.  (compare  4:  9;  6  :  7), 
and  the  wonderful  tenacity  of  Judaism  is  largely  due  to  the 
thoroughness  with  which  this  truth  has  been  appreciated  and 
absorbed. 

14-23.  In  this  paragraph  vs.  14,  15,  and  23  require  separate 
attention,  as  they  contain  a  parallel  statement  from  another  docu- 
ment concerning  the  appointment  of  Joshua.     Compare  Exod.  . 
33:  7-1 1  (E). 

14.  Thy  days  approach  for  dying,  as  in  Gen.  47  :  29  (J).     Tent       * 
of  meeting  only  here  and  the  next  verse  in  Deut. ;  it  occurs  in  JE, 
but  is  especially  frequent  in  P,  about  132  times.     The  word  went 


31  :  15  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

present  yourselves  in  the  tent  of  meeting,  that  I  may 
give  him  a  charge.  And  Moses  and  Joshua  went, 
and  presented  themselves  in  the  tent  of  meeting. 
15.  And  the  Lord  appeared  in  the  Tent  in  a  pillar  of 
cloud:  and  the  pillar  of  cloud  stood  over^  the  door 
of  the  Tent. 
D^  16.  And  the  Lori^  said  unto  Moses,  Behold,  thou  shalt 
sleep  with  thy  fathers;  and  this  people  will  rise  up, 
and  go  a  whoring  after  the  strange  gods  of  the  land, 
whither  they  go  to  be  among  them,  and  will  forsake 
me,  and  break  my  covenant  which  I  have  made  with 

*  m.  by. 

finds  its  explanation  in  Exod.  33 :  7,  where  it  is  said  that  Moses 
used  to  take  the  tent  and  pitch  it  without  the  camp,  afar  off 
from  the  camp,  etc.  Present  yourselves :  in  the  passages  be- 
longing to  Deut.  this  word  has  a  different  shade  of  meaning; 
it  is  rendered  stand  before  in  7  :  24 ;   9:2;   and  11 :  25. 

15.  For  the  pillar  of  cloud,  the  visible  accompaniment  of  the 
divine  presence,  see  Num.  12:5;  Exod.  33  :  9. 

3.  Introduction  to  the  Song;  31  :  16-20 

^  16.  With  this  verse  begins  the  introduction  to  the  Song  con- 
tained in  the  next  chapter,  in  the  form  of  a  statement  that  after 
the  death  of  Moses  the  people  will  forsake  their  God  and  thus 
bring  upon  themselves  many  evils  and  troubles,  and  then  the  Song 
will  witness  against  them  for  Yahweh,  Sleep  {lie  down)  with  thy 
fathers.  Gen.  47  :  30  (J).  This  people  :  these  words  are  given  in 
a  contemptuous  tone,  Exod.  32:9;  Isa.  6:  9.  This  figure,  used 
only  here  in  Deut.  for  religious  apostasy,  is  found  elsewhere,  but 
especially  in  Hos.  and  Ezek.  it  is  based  upon  the  comparison  of 
the  union  of  Yahweh  and  the  nation  to  the  marriage  bond ;  it  has, 
however,  a  certain  literalness  when  we  remember  the  impure  prac- 
tices that  were  common  at  the  heathen  shrines.  Compare  23 : 
17,  and  see  Lev.  17:  7;  Num.  15:9;  Ps.  73:  27.  The  strange 
gods  of  the  land,  whither  they  go  to  be  among  them,  lit.,  the  for- 
eign gods  of  the  land  whither  it  goeth  in,  in  its  midst.  The  sentence 
is  awkward  in  the  original ;  it  is  possible  that  the  clause  "of  the 
land  whither  it  goeth  in  "  was  inserted  later  to  keep  the  Mosaic 
age  free  from  the  suspicion  of  idolatry.     When  the  fully  developed 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


17.  them.  Then  my  anger  shall  be  kindled  against  them 
in  that  day,  and  I  will  forsake  them,  and  I  will  hide 
my  face  from  them,  and  they  shall  be  devoured,  and 
many  evils  and  troubles  shall  come  upon  them;  so 
that  they  will  say  in  that  day.  Are  not  these  «;vils 
come  upon  us  because  our  God  is  not  among  us  ? 

18.  And  I  will  surely  hide  my  face^  in  that  day  for  all 
the  evil  which  they  ^  shall  have  wrought,  in  that  they  ^ 

19.  are  turned  unto  other  gods.  Now  therefore  write  ye  ^ 
this  song  for  you,  and  teach  thou^  it  the  children  of 
Israel :  put  it  in  their  mouths,  that  this  song  may  be 


1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  add/rom  them.         *  So  read  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.,  Heb.  he  (sing.). 
8  Gr.  adds  the  words  of.       *  Gr.  Vg.  ye. 


law  is  carried  back  to  the  time  of  Moses,  the  later  ages  are  regarded 
as  filled  almost  altogether  with  acts  of  rebellion  against  Yahweh's 
pure  commands.  This  view  is  expressed  very  strongly  in  the 
prophecies  of  Ezekiel ;  compare  with  this  the  statement  of  Joshua 
24  (E)  concerning  the  idolatry  of  "  your  fathers." 

17.  Instead  of  devouring  the  nations  (7  :  16),  those  nations,  as 
the  instruments  of  Yahweh's  justice,  will  devour  them.  Hide 
my  face ;  compare,  32 :  20;  Isa.  8:17;  Mic.  3 :  4,  and  note  that 
the  phrase  is  frequent  in  later  writers.  Are  not  these  evils,  etc.  ? 
This  question  was  on  the  lips  of  many  as  a  consequence  of  the 
great  sufferings  that  came  upon  the  nation  when  it  was  crushed 
by  the  cruel  power  of  Babylon.  "  But  my  words  and  my  statutes 
which  I  commanded  my  servants  the  prophets,  did  they  not  over- 
take your  fathers?  and  they  turned  and  said.  Like  as  the  Lord  of 
Hosts  thought  to  do  unto  us,  according  to  our  doings,  so  hath  he 
dealt  with  us,"  Zech.  i :  6.  Misfortunes  are  accepted  as  a  sure 
sign  of  God's  anger  and  withdrawal ;  then  this  doctrine  had  to  be 
made  the  subject  of  careful  consideration,  Isa.  53:4;   Ps.  73. 

18.  If  the  people  persist  in  their  infidelity,  as  they  are  here 
supposed  to  do,  their  God  will  surely  hide  from  them  the  light 
and  blessing  of  his  presence. 

19.  Write  ye  .  .  .  teach  thou.  If  this  is  taken  as  it  stands, 
Moses  and  Joshua  are  first  addressed,  then  Moses  alone.  On  this 
point  the  versions  are  at  variance,  but  vs.  16  and  22  make  it  prob- 
able that  we  should  have  the  singular  throughout.  The  idea  is 
that  Moses,  having  left  behind  such  a  clear  warning  as  the  Song 

223 


31  :  20  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

20.  a  witness  for  me  against  the  children  of  Israel.  For 
when  I  shall  have  brought  them  into  the  land  which 
I  sware  unto  their  fathers/  flowing  with  milk  and 
honey;  and  they  shall  have  eaten  and  filled  them- 
selves, and  waxen 2  fat;  then  will  they  turn  unto 
other  gods,  and  serve  them,  and  despise  me,  and 

21.  break  my  covenant.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass, 
when  many  evils  and  troubles  are  come  upon  them, 
that  this  song  shall  testify  before  them  as  a  witness ; 
for  it  shall  not  be  forgotten  out  of  the  mouths  of 
their  seed :  for  I  know  their  imagination  which  they 
^  go  about,'  even  now,  before  I  have  brought  them  into 
the  land  which  I  sware.* 

JE  22.       So  Moses  wrote  this  song  the  same  day,  and  taught 

23.   it  the  children  of  Israel.    And  he  gave  Joshua  the 

son  of  Nun  a  charge,  and  said.  Be  strong  and  of  a 

'  Gr.  adds  to  give  to  them  a  land.  *  SV  here  and  elsewhere,  waxed.  *  SV  which 
thty  frame.       *  Sam,  Gr.  Sjrr.  add  to  their  fathers. 

contains,  if  sorrows  come  upon  the  people  as  a  result  of  apostasy, 
the  responsibility  and  blame  rests  altogether  upon  themselves. 

20.  That  which  is  set  forth  as  a  warning  in  8 :  19  here  appears 
as  a  definite  prediction. 

21.  This  song  shall  testify  before  them,  lit.  shall  answer  before 
it,  i.e.  before  the  nation.  The  Song  now  written  will  in  the 
future  respond  to  the  needs  of  national  and  individual  life. 
Rightly  understood  and  intelligently  applied,  this  principle  is 
the  one  that  gives  vitality  and  meaning  to  the  exposition  of  scrip- 
ture. At  the  end  of  the  verse  add,  for  completeness,  to  their 
fathers,  as  given  in  the  versions.  Here  is  the  same  strong  faith 
m  the  written  book  and  the  power  of  teaching  to  mould  the  minds 
of  coming  generations,  though  here  it  is  set  in  a  more  pessimistic 
context.  The  prediction  is  placed  in  relation  to  life  by  the  dec- 
laration that  Moses  can  already  in  the  present  see  the  seeds  of 
future  degeneration  actually  at  work,  and  although  he  does  not 
hope  to  destroy  them  completely,  he  will  leave  behind  a  testimony 
that  may  exert  a  wholesome  effect.  Gen.  6:5;   8 :  21  (J). 

23.  And  he  gave,  that  is,  Yahweh  gave  the  charge  to  Joshua, 
as  is  clear  from  the  two  preceding  verses ;  if  this  is  read  after  vs. 

224 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  31  :  28 

good  courage:  for  thou  shalt  bring  the  children  of 
Israel  into  the  land  which  I  sware  unto  them :  and  I 
will  be  with  thee. 

24.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Moses  had  made  an  end  D» 
of  writing  the  words  of  this  law  in  a  book,  until  ihey 

25.  were  finished,  that  Moses  commanded  the  Levites, 
which  bare  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord,  say- 

26.  ing,  Take  this  book  of  the  law,  and  put  it  by  the 
side  of  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  your  God, 

27.  that  it  may  be  there  for  a  witness  against  thee.  For 
I  know  thy  rebellion,  and  thy  stiff  neck:  behold, 
while  I  am  yet  alive  with  you  this  day,  ye  have  been 
rebellious  against  the  Lord;    and  how  much  more 

28.  after  my  death  ?    Assemble  unto  me  all  the  elders  of  D^ 

22,  Moses  becomes  the  subject  of  the  verb.  Note  then  the  three 
accounts  of  the  appointment  of  Joshua,  that  of  Deut.  1:37; 
3  :  21-28;  31  :  7-8,  that  of  E  given  here,  and  P's  account  in 
Num.  27  :  22-23,  where  Joshua  is  publicly  appointed  before 
Eleazer  the  priest  and  all  the  congregation. 

24  ff.  in  their  present  form  tell  how  Moses  gave  instructions 
for  the  Deuteronomic  Code  to  be  deposited  beside  the  ark.  If 
the  suggestion  that  "  law  "  in  24  and  26  was  originally  "  song  " 
is  accepted,  then  the  paragraph  would  be  the  continuation  of  the 
introduction  to  the  Song ;  as  it  is,  we  must  treat  it  as  a  statement 
parallel  to  9  ff.,  which  passes  somewhat  abruptly  into  this  in- 
troduction to  the  Song.  See  these  words  in  v.  28.  Book  may  refer 
to  a  roll  small  enough  for  this  poem  or  large  enough  for  the  legal 
code,  Exod.  17:  14;   Isa.  30:  8. 

26.  Those  who  are  to  have  charge  of  the  ark  are  not  the  sub- 
ordinate clergy  of  the  later  Priestly  Code,  but  the  Levitical  priests 
referred  to  in  17 :  18.  A  witness  against,  this  expression  is  used 
of  the  Song  in  21 ;  the  law  may  of  course  be  a  witness  against  those 
who  disobey  it,  but  the  most  natural  way  to  regard  it  is  as  a 
standard  and  guide  for  the  regulation  of  conduct. 

27.  Compare  the  same  sentiment  ascribed  to  Yahweh  in  v.  21, 
and  see  the  following  passages:   9:  7;  24;    10:  16. 

28.  Should  probably  read  your  elders,  your  judges,  and  your 
officers;  see  on  29  :  10 ;  the  phrase  elders  of  your  tribes  is  peculiar, 
and  the  words  for  judges  and  tribes  are  similar  in  the  original. 

Q  22s 


31  :  29  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

your  tribes,  and  your  officers,  ^  that  I  may  speak 
these  words  in  their  ears,  and  call  heaven  and  earth 

29.  to  witness  against  them.  For  I  know  that  after  my 
death  ye  will  utterly  corrupt  yourselves,  and  turn 
aside  from  the  way  which  I  have  commanded  you; 
and  evil  will  befall  you  in  the  latter  days;  because 
ye  will  do  that  which  is  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord, 
to  provoke  him  to  anger  through  the  work  of  your 
hands. 

30.  And  Moses  spake  in  the  ears  of  all  the  assembly 
of  Israel  the  words  of  this  song,  until  they  were 
finished. 

DS  32.       Give  ear,  ye  heavens,  and  I  will  speak ; 

And  let  the  earth  hear  the  words  of  my  mouth : 

*  Gr.  adds  and  your  judges. 

As  the  paragraph  now  stands,  Moses  is  speaking  to  the  Levites ; 
the  usual  procedure  would  be  for  the  elders  and  officers  to  sum- 
mon the  people,  v.  30.  These  words,  referring,  of  course,  to  the 
poem  which  is  about  to  be  delivered  and  which  begins  with  an 
appeal  to  the  heavens  and  the  earth. 

29.  The  latter  days.  This  phrase  is  placed  in  a  different  at- 
mosphere from  that  in  4:  31;  there  the  time  of  blessing  comes 
after  judgment  and  repentance,  and  that  is  the  more  usual  shade 
of  meaning ;  here  the  outlook  does  not  go  beyond  the  apostasy  and 
punishment  in  the  future  period  of  their  history.  In  later  times 
it  became  a  technical  term  of  Jewish  eschatology,  and  the  most 
common  view  was  that  after  the  destruction  of  Israel's  enemies 
there  would  come  a  time  of  permanent  peace  and  prosperity, 
Joel  3 :  18. 

4.   The  Song  of  Moses;  32  :  1-47 

The  song  which  bears  this  title  is  a  didactic  poem  in  which 
the  poet  seeks  to  justify  the  ways  of  Israel's  God,  setting  forth 
the  righteous  dealing  of  Yahweh  in  contrast  with  the  folly  and 
ingratitude  of  his  people,  and  giving  the  reason  why  this  nation 
that  has  so  deeply  offended  him  may  yet  hope  in  his  mercy,  a 
mercy  that  will  be  manifested  in  taking  vengeance  on  their  ene- 
mies and  bringing  redemption  to  the  people  of  his  choice.     While, 

226 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


32:3 


2. 


My  doctrine  shall  drop  as  the  rain/ 

My  speech  shall  distil  as  the  dew ; 

As  the  small  rain  upon  the  tender  grass, 

And  as  the  showers  upon  the  herb : 

For  I  will  proclaim  the  name  of  the  Lord  : 

Ascribe  ye  greatness  unto  our  God. 


»  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  add  and. 


in  this  poem,  the  people  are  accused  of  ingratitude  and  their 
unfaithfulness  condemned,  yet,  on  the  whole,  the  tone  of  it  is  more 
kindly  and  tender  than  we  would  have  expected  from  the  refer- 
ence in  31 :  39;  the  final  outcome  is  to  give  consolation  to  and 
beget  hopefulness  in  the  minds  of  a  people  that  have  suffered  the 
severe  strain  of  heavy  judgments.  It  has  been  called  "  a  com- 
pendium of  prophetic  theology  "  ;  the  author,  a  true  poet,  though 
not  possessing  the  fiery  passion  or  brilliant  originality  of  an  Isaiah, 
has  been  a  devout  student  in  the  school  of  the  prophets.  The 
poem  is  carefully  written,  the  verse  runs  smoothly ;  it  cannot  be 
divided  into  regular  strophes,  but  has  well-marked  divisions  of 
subject,  and  the  various  parts  of  the  theme  are  developed  with 
logical  skill  and  persuasive  impressiveness.  Its  afl&nities  of 
language  and  style  are  with  the  prophets  and  writers  of  the 
Exilic  period.  Like  the  great  prophet  of  the  Captivity,  the  au- 
thor of  Isaiah  40-55,  the  poet  looks  forward  to  an  early  deliver- 
ance. It  may  have  circulated  as  a  separate  poem,  attributed  to 
Moses,  before  it  was  worked  into  the  framework  of  the  present  book. 

1.  The  introduction,  1-3.  The  subject  of  the  poem  being  so 
sublime,  the  poet  feels  justified  in  calling  upon  the  heavens  and 
the  earth,  i.e.  the  whole  visible  world,  to  pay  attention  to  his 
declaration ;  compare  Isa.  1:2;  Ps.  50 :  4 ;  in  the  other  passages 
in  Deut.  4:  26;  30:  19;  31 :  28,  heaven  and  earth  are  called  as 
witnesses. 

2.  My  doctrine  shall  drop  or  let  my  teaching  drop  as  the  rain. 
The  prophet  expresses  the  hope  that  his  words  may  act  upon  the 
life  of  the  aj03icted  nation  as  the  gentle,  fructifying  rain  upon  the 
dry,  barren  earth.  The  word  translated  doctrine  means  literally 
something  received,  it  belongs  to  the  wisdom  literature,  Isa.  29  :  14; 
Job  11:4;  Prov.  1:5;  4:2,  etc. 

3.  For  Yahweh's  name  I  will  call  out,  as  some  thing  in  which 
men  ought  to  boast  who  know  his  wonderful  dealings  with  his 
people.  Let  all  who  hear  meditate  upon  this  theme  and  render 
to  the  God  of  Israel  the  honor  that  is  due  to  his  name. 

227 


32:4  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

Rev.  15 : 3       4.       The  Rock,^  his  work  is  perfect ; 
For  all  his  ways  are  judgement :  ^ 
A  God  of  faithfulness  and  without  iniquity, 
Just  and  right  is  he.^ 

5.  They  have  dealt  corruptly  *  with  him,  they  are  not 
Piiii.  3 :  IS  his  children,  it  is  their  blemish ;  ^ 

They  are  a  perverse  and  crooked  generation. 

6.  Do  ye  thus  requite  the  Lord, 
O  foolish  people  and  unwise  ? 

Is  not  he  thy  father  that  hath  bought  •  thee  ? 
He  hath  made  thee,  and  established  thee. 

*  Gr.  God.  «  SW  justice.  *  Gr.  Yakweh.  *  m.  corrupted  themselves,  they,  etc. 
(so  Sam.  Gr.).        •  m.  but  a  blot  upon  them.        •  m.  possessed  or  gotten. 

4-6.  Statement  of  the  theme.  Yahweh's  righteousness  and 
faithfulness  in  striking  contrast  to  the  disloyal  conduct  of  his 
people. 

The  Rock.  He  is  the  true  Rock ;  rock  is  a  favorite  expression 
in  this  poem,  used  also  of  heathen  gods,  vs.  31 ;  it  expresses  the 
j&rmness,  unchangeableness,  and  reliability  of  Yahweh,  as  shown 
in  past  history,  i  Sam.  2:2;  Isa.  44 :  8 ;  Ps.  18 :  2.  Judgement, 
right  in  the  legal  sense.  He  has  governed  the  world  and  guided 
his  people  according  to  perfectly  just  laws. 

5.  It  is  impossible  to  give  a  satisfactory  translation  of  the  first 
clause ;  the  sense  seems  to  be  : 

His  sons  have  dealt  corruptly  towards  him, 
A  twisted  and  crooked  generation. 

6.  Then  follows  a  question  of  astonishment  and  reproach : 

Would  ye  pay  back  Yahweh  in  this  fashion, 
O  foolish  and  unwise  people  ? 

The  word  foolish  here  means  stupid  as  to  spiritual  things,  dull, 
obtuse  in  regard  to  moral  conduct,  22  :  21 ;    Gen.  33  :  7 ;    2  Sam. 
13:  12.     Unwise  is  the  same  thing  differently  expressed,  lacking 
in  the  practical  good  sense  and  wisdom  which  comes  from  the 
fear  of  God.     The  continuation  of  the  question  goes  deeper  into  the 
relationship  between  Yahweh  and  his  people,  thus  casting  a  power- 
ful light  upon  their  ingratitude  that  shows  it  in  all  its  meanness. 
Is  he  not  thy  Father  who  created  thee, 
Did  he  not  make  thee  and  establish  thee? 
228 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  32  :  8 

7.  Remember  the  days  of  old, 

Consider  the  years  of  many  generations: 
Ask  thy  father,  and  he  will  shew  thee ; 
Thine  elders,  and  they  will  tell  thee. 

8.  When  the  Most  High  gave  to  the  nations  their 

inheritance, 
When  he  separated  the  children  of  men, 

The  word  rendered  buy  or  create  means  to  acquire,  often  by  buying 
but  also  in  other  ways ;  Yahweh  acquired  this  nation  by  creating 
it,  forming  it  for  himself.  The  reference  is  not  to  the  creation  of 
man,  as  in  the  Genesis  narratives,  but  to  the  choice  of  Israel  in 
the  wilderness  period ;  see  v.  10.  At  that  time  the  nation  was 
created,  there  was  preparation  for  the  great  event,  but  the  Exodus 
was  in  a  real  sense  a  creative  epoch  for  the  nation. 

7-14.  The  wonderful  blessings  which  Yahweh  has  showered  on 
Israel. 

7.  The  days  of  old,  as  the  following  verses  show,  refer  not  to 
the  patriarchal  age  but  to  the  time  when  the  nation  was  brought 
into  existence  under  Moses.  Many  generations,  lit.,  generation 
and  generation,  i.e.  successive  generations.  The  writer  evidently 
looks  back  upon  the  long  stretch  of  time  from  his  own  day  to 
that  of  Moses.  In  those  days  history  was  not  written  in  full, 
gathered  together,  and  arranged  in  the  shelves  of  great  libraries. 
If  men  would  know  the  story  of  the  past  they  must  ask  their 
fathers  and  the  elders  of  the  community,  who  had  received  the 
tradition  from  those  who  had  gone  before;  some  writings  there 
were,  but  very  largely  by  word  of  mouth  the  story  of  God's  dealings 
with  the  nation  had  travelled  down  from  father  to  son.  This 
great  thought  that  history  is  a  revelation  of  the  wisdom  and  good- 
ness of  God  is  prominent  in  other  parts  of  Deuteronomy.  They 
will  tell  thee,  or  will  say  to  thee ;  then  we  must  treat  a  number 
of  the  following  verses  as  a  direct  quotation  of  their  statements. 

8.  For  the  general  idea  compare  Paul's  declaration,  Acts  17  :  26. 
When  Yahweh  marked  out  the  boundaries  of  the  nations,  he  re- 
served a  home  among  them  for  his  people.  Most  High,  a  poetical 
title  of  God,  Num.  24:  16;  Isa.  14:  14;  and  several  psalms,  used 
appropriately  here  to  suggest  the  absolute  supremacy  of  Israel's 
God.  Sons  of  Adam  in  AV  is  here  rightly  rendered  children  of 
men.  The  text  as  it  stands  simply  claims  that  when  Yahweh 
caused  the  various  nations  to  settle  in  different  localities  he  re- 
served a  place  for  Israel  suited  to  its  needs.  Later  Jews  inter- 
preted the  passage  literally  and  found  a  correspondence  between 

229 


32:9  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

He  set  the  bounds  of  the  peoples 
According  to  the  number  ^of  the  children  of  Israel.^ 
9.       2  For  the  Lord's  portion  is  his  people ; 
Jacob  is  the  lot  of  his  inheritance.^ 

10.  He  found  him  in  a  desert  land, 

And  in  the  waste  howHng  wilderness ; 

He  compassed  him  about,  he  cared  for  him, 

He  kept  him  as  the  apple  of  his  eye : 

11.  As  an  eagle  that  stirreth  up  her  nest, 
That  fluttereth  over  her  young, 

^  He  spread  abroad  his  wings,  he  took  them. 
He  bare  them  on  his  pinions :  ^ 

*  Gr.  0}  the  angels  of  God.  «  Gr.  reads  And  the  Lord's  portion  is  his  people  Jacob; 
Israel  is  the  lot,  etc.  '  m.  Spreadeth  abroad  her  wings,  taketh  them,  beareth  them  on 
her  pinions. 

the  seventy  nations  of  Gen.  10  and  the  seventy  souls  of  Gen. 
46:  27.  The  reading  of  the  Greek  should  be  noted  in  this  case, 
it  has  ^^  according  to  the  number  of  angels  (i.e.  sons)  ofGod.^'  This 
would  contain  an  anticipation  of  the  later  doctrine  of  guardian 
angels,  Dan.  10:  13-20;  12:  i.  On  this  view,  while  the  nations 
were  divided  according  to  the  number  of  the  patron  angels,  Israel 
had  the  preference  of  being  under  the  immediate  care  of  the  Su- 
preme God,  as  is  clearly  expressed  in  the  next  verse ;  compare 
7:  6;  10:  15. 

10.  Israel  was  found  in  a  land  that  was  a  wilderness  region,  in  a 
district  that  was  barren  and  solitary,  where  the  loneliness  was 
made  more  impressive  and  oppressive  by  the  howling  of  wild 
beasts,  Hos.  9:  10;  Ezek.  16:  5.  Then  in  its  hour  of  weakness 
and  danger  the  nation  became  the  object  of  Yahweh's  most  care- 
ful attention  and  watchful  consideration.  The  apple  of  his  eye, 
the  pupil  of  the  eye,  the  most  delicate  and  precious  part;  Ps. 
17  :  8;  Prov.  7:2. 

11.  By  the  use  of  a  beautiful  figure  from  the  life  of  birds  illus- 
trates the  care  Yahweh  has  shown  in  the  manner  in  which  he  has 
disciplined  his  people,  endeavoring  to  train  them  in  the  way  of 
independent  action.  The  vulture  stirs  up  the  young  ones,  stimu- 
lates them  to  action,  at  the  same  time  hovers  over  them,  slowly 
training  them  to  exercise  their  powers  of  flight.  The  same  figure 
is  suggested  in  Exod.  19:4;  compare  Deut.  1:31.     In  the  account 

230 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  32:14 

12.  The  Lord  alone  did  lead  him, 

And  there  was  no  strange  ^  god  with  him. 

13.  He  made  him  ride  on  the  high  places  ^  of  the  earth, 
And  he  did  eat  ^  the  increase  of  the  field ; 

And  *  he  made  him  to  suck  honey  out  of  the  rock, 
And  oil  out  of  the  flinty  rock ; 

14.  Butter  of  kine,  and  milk  of  sheep. 
With  fat  of  lambs, 

And  rams  ^  of  the  breed  of  Bashan,  and  goats, 

With  the  fat  of  kidneys  of  wheat; 

And  of  the  blood  of  the  grape  thou  drankest  wine. 

1  SV  foreign.  » Gr.  reads  strength.  »  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  And  he  fed  him. 

*  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  om.  and;  Gr.  reads  they  sucked.  »  Gr.  reads  at  end  of  preceding 
line ;  of  calves  (sons  of  bulls)  and  goats. 

of  the  Exodus  we  are  told  that  they  were  not  led  by  the  way  of 
the  Philistines,  although  that  was  near,  lest  they  should  see  war  and 
repent,  etc.,  Exod.  13:  17. 

12.  This  verse  condemns  not  only  the  forsaking  of  Yahweh,  but 
also  what  is  known  as  syncretism,  i.e.,  the  mixing  of  religions  or 
the  joining  of  other  gods  to  his  worship.  He  did  this  great  thing, 
and  he  did  it  alone;  there  was  no  foreign  god  with  him  as  a  helper, 
Hos.  13:4;   Isa.  43 :  12;   compare  2  Kgs.  11:2. 

13.  As  Yahweh  himself  moves  in  majesty  over  the  earth  (Amos 
4:  13;  Mic.  1 :  3)  or  sea  (Job  9:  8),  so  he  makes  his  people  to 
advance  in  victorious  march,  in  spite  of  all  hindrances,  over  the 
high  places  of  the  earth,  and  causes  them  to  eat  (Gr.  Sam.  Isa. 
58  :  14)  the  increase  of  the  fields.  Note  the  enthusiasm  for  Pales- 
tine, here  evidently  the  praise  of  one  who  knew  and  loved  the  land. 
Its  rocks  and  sandy  places  that  would  here  be  regarded  as  natu- 
rally barren  yielded  rich  products  for  the  sustenance  and  enjoy- 
ment of  the  Israelites.  Bees  found  shelter  in  the  crags  and  olives 
flourished  in  the  sandy  soil,  8:15;   Ps.  81 :  17 ;  Job  29  :  6. 

14.  Butter,  i.e.,  curd,  thick  sour  milk,  a  form  of  food  still  much 
esteemed  in  the  East.     Perhaps  it  should  be : 

Curd  of  kine  and  milk  of  goats, 

With  fat  of  lambs  and  rams ; 
Herds  of  Bashan  and  he-goats, 

With  the  kidney  fat  of  wheat, 
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32:15  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

15.  ^  But  Jeshurun  ^  waxed  fat,  and  kicked : 

Thou  art  waxen  fat,  thou  art  grown  thick,  thou  art 

become  sleek : 
Then  he  forsook  God  which  made  him, 
^  And  Hghtly  esteemed  the  Rock  of  his  salvation.^ 

16.  They  moved  him  *  to  jealousy  with  strange  gods, 
With  abominations  provoked  they  him  *  to  anger. 

I  Rev.  9: 20   17.       They  sacrificed  unto  demons,  which  were  no  God, 
I  Cor.  10 :  20  'Pq  gQ^g  ^j^Qj^  ^Yiey  knew  not, 

1  Sara.  Gr.  insert  So  (Gr.  only)  Jacob  ate  and  was  satisfied.  *  Gr.  the  beloved. 

*  Gr.  And  departed  from  God  his  Saviour.        *  Gr.  me. 

For  the  kidney  fat  of  wheat  see  Ps.  81:  16;  147:  14.  In  the 
fifth  line  the  Greek  version  reads  the  third  person,  which  is  prob- 
ably correct  unless  the  whole  line  is  a  later  addition  by  some  one 
who  missed  the  wine  in  the  list  of  blessings.  And  the  blood  of  the 
grape  thou  didst  drink  as  fiery  (fermenting)  wine. 

15-18.  Israel's  ingratitude  in  view  of  this  kindly  care. 

15.  For  the  principle  here  involved  see  the  classic  Chap.  8. 
The  versions  Sam  and  Gr.  have  an  additional  line  at  the  beginning. 

Jacob  ate  and  was  filled. 

Compare  31 :  20;  Neh.  9:  25.  Jeshiinm,  an  honorable  title  for 
Israel  (33  :  5-26 ;  Isa.  44 :  2) ;  the  word  may  contain  a  play  upon 
"  Israel  "  and  a  reference  to  Yasher  (righteous) ;  the  context  here 
gives  it  a  reproachful  ironical  tone.  God,  here  the  word  is  Eloah, 
probably  a  late  singular  form  from  Elohim,  which  occurs  in  the 
Pent,  only  here  and  in  v,  19. 

Lightly  esteemed,  lit.  made  a  fool  of,  or  "  treated  as  a  senseless 
or  irreligious  person."  Rock  of  salvation,    2  Sam.   22:47;   Ps. 

95:  I- 

16.  Jealousy,  see  4:  24-25.  Abominations,  here  according  to 
the  parallelism,  foreign  gods  or  idols,  used  in  this  sense,  2  Kgs. 
23:  13;   Isa.  44:  19. 

17.  Demons.  Greek  daimonia  represents  the  Hebrew  word 
Shedim,  which  occurs  again  only  in  a  late  Ps.  106 :  37,  "  Yea, 
they  sacrificed  their  sons  and  daughters  unto  demons."  The 
exact  nature  of  the  gods  or  demons  thus  named  is  not  known. 
They  are  probably  superstitious  survivals  or  revivals  from  the 
ancient  animistic  beliefs,  which  included  many  superhuman  beings 

232 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  32:20 

To  new  gods  that  came  up  of  late, 
^  Whom  your  fathers  dreaded  not.^ 

18.  Of  the  Rock  ^  that  begat  thee  thou  art  unmindful, 
And  hast  forgotten  God  that  gave  thee  birth. 

19.  And  the  Lord  saw  U,  and  abhorred  thentf 
Because  of  the  provocation  of  his  sons  and  his 

daughters. 

20.  And  he  said,  I  will  hide  my  face  from  them, 
I  will  see  ^  what  their  end  shall  be : 

For  they  are  a  very  f roward  ^  generation, 
Children  in  whom  is  no  faith.^ 


^  Gr.  Whom  their  fathers  knew  not.  *  Gr.  God.  '  Gr.  show,  point  out. 

*  SV  perverse.  5  faithfulness. 

that  did  not  attain  to  the  rank  of  gods.  This  is  quite  consistent 
with  the  fact  that  they  are  new  in  the  sense  of  not  having  had  any 
previous  vital  connection  with  Israel's  faith.  The  fathers  had 
not  shuddered  in  the  presence  of  these  particular  demons ;  they 
are  not  really  divine ;  only  silly  people  who  do  not  understand  the 
significance  of  Israel's  history  would  pay  any  attention  to  such 
vain  idols.  Dreaded,  another  suggestion  for  the  rendering  of 
the  word  is  knew  or  perceived,  as  in  the  Greek  version. 

1 8.  A  very  bold  figure,  in  which  Yahweh  is  not  only  the  father 
who  brought  the  nation  into  existence,  but  also  the  mother  who  for 
Israel's  sake  has  endured  the  birth-pangs ;  so  completely  does  this 
people  owe  its  very  life  to  him  that  their  infidelity  seems  incred- 
ible. 

19-25.  The  consequence  is  that  Yahweh  must  now  come  with 
the  sternness  of  a  righteous  judge ;  the  general  effect  is  stated : 
Yahweh  saw  this  conduct  and  spurned  his  people  because  of  vexa- 
tion concerning  his  sons  and  daughters;  then  in  the  following  verses 
particulars  of  this  judgment  are  given  in  the  first  person,  with  the 
reason  why  it  stops  short  of  utter  destruction. 

20.  With  poetic  boldness  and  vividness  Yahweh  is  represented 
as  withdrawing  his  presence,  leaving  the  nation  to  itself  and  then 
waiting  in  expectation  to  see  what  the  end  will  be ;  the  Greek 
translations  have  softened  this  down  by  giving,  "/  will  show  what, 
etc.,"  a  rendering  which  simply  requires  a  change  in  the  punctua- 
tion of  the  Hebrew.  The  character  given  to  the  people  here  is 
just  the  opposite  of  that  ascribed  to  God  in  v.  4. 

233 


zi:ii 


32:21  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

I  Cor.  10 :  22  21.       They  have  moved  me  to  jealousy  with  that  which  is 

Rom.io:i9;  not  God ; 

They  have  provoked  me  to  anger  with  their  vanities : 
And  I  will  move  them  to  jealousy  with  those  which 

are  not  a  people; 
I  will  provoke  them  to  anger  with  a  foolish  nation. 
32.       For  a  fire  is  kindled  in  mine  anger, 
And  burneth  unto  the  lowest  pit/ 
And  ^  devoureth  the  earth  with  her  increase, 
And  ^  setteth  on  fire  the  foundations  of  the  moimtains. 

23.  I  will  heap  mischiefs  upon  them ; 
I  will  spend  mine  arrows  upon  them : 

24.  They  shall  he  wasted  with  hunger, 'and  devoured 
with  burning  heat ' 

»  m.  Heb.  SV,  Sheol.  *  Sam.  Gr.  om.  and.  *  Gr.  and  with  the  devouring  of 
birds  (m.  Heb.  burning  coals). 

21.  The  structure  of  the  verse  suggests  the  symmetry  of 
judgment,  the  law  of  like  that  is  in  the  heart  of  things.  They  have 
made  him  jealous  with  a  no-god  and  vexed  him  with  vanities 
(i.e.,  idols),  and  he  will  make  them  jealous  by  means  of  a  wild, 
barbarous  people,  who  are  not  worthy  to  be  called  a  people,  and 
vex  them  by  means  of  a  nation  that  is  senseless  and  impious, 
Ps.  74:  18.  It  is  not  possible  to  make  out  any  definite  historical 
allusions.     Compare  St.  Paul's  use  of  the  passage,  Rom.  10 :  19. 

22.  The  fire  of  Yahweh's  anger  which  is  specially  directed 
against  unfaithful  Israel  is  here  with  poetic  exaggeration  repre- 
sented as  consuming  the  whole  structure  of  the  visible  world.  It 
reaches  to  the  depths  of  the  underworld  (Sheol),  devours  the  in- 
crease of  the  earth,  and  sets  on  fire  the  foundations  of  the  moun- 
tains which  are  fixed  in  the  sea,  Jon.  2:6;  Ps.  18 :  7 ;   24 :  2. 

24-25.  The  mischiefs  or  evils  are  here  specified,  famine,  pesti- 
lence, wild  beasts,  and  war ;  the  wasting  influence  or  swift  de- 
struction of  each  is  set  forth  in  brief,  biting  phrases.  The  sug- 
gestive picture  of  the  horrors  of  war  in  v.  25  needs  no  comment. 
Burning  heat,  i.e.,  the  fire-bolt,  poetical  name  for  the  fiery  darts 
sent  by  Yahweh,  to  which  according  to  the  popular  imagination 
pestilential  complaints  are  due ;  see  Hab.  3:5,  "  And  the  fire- 
bolt  proceedeth  at  his  feet."      In  Phoenician  the  name  of  a  god 

234 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


And  bitter  destruction ; 

And  tlie  teeth  of  beasts  will  I  send  upon  them, 

With  the  poison  of  crawling  things  of  the  dust. 

25.  Without  shall  the  sword  bereave/ 
And  in  the  chambers  terror ; 

It  shall  destroy  both  young  man  and  virgin, 
The  suckUng  with  the  man  of  gray  hairs. 

26.  I  said,  I  would  scatter  them  afar, 

I  would  make  the  remembrance  of  them  to  cease 
from  among  men : 

27.  2  Y^ere  it  not  that  I  feared  the  provocation  of  the 

enemy,^ 
Lest  their  adversaries  should  misdeem,^ 
Lest  they  should  say,  *Our  hand  is  exalted. 
And  the  Lord  hath  not  done  all  this.'* 

28.  For  they  are  a  nation  void  of  counsel, 
And  there  is  no  understanding  in  them. 

*  Gr.  adds  them.  ^  Gr.  Were  it  not  for  the  wrath  of  the  enemy,  lest  they  should  live 
long.        *  SV  judge  amiss.        *  Gr.  Our  own  high  hand  and  not  the  Lord  hath  done  all  this. 

is  derived  from  this  word.  Bitter  destruction,  poisonous,  ma- 
lignant epidemic.  With  the  latter  part  of  the  verse  compare 
Jer.  8:17. 

26-33.  Gives  the  turning-point,  showing  why  judgment  must 
not  be  carried  to  the  extreme  length  of  utter  destruction.  Yah- 
weh's  honor  among  the  nations  was  at  stake,  they  would  have 
ascribed  the  extinction  of  Israel  to  their  own  superior  power  and 
unchecked  ambition. 

26.  I  should  have  said  I  will  scatter  them  afar ;  the  exact  shade 
of  meaning  of  the  verb  thus  translated  is  uncertain ;  other  sugges- 
tions are,  I  will  blow  them  away  or  cleave  them  in  pieces. 

27.  A  striking  verse  with  strong  ascription  of  human  feeling  to 
Yahweh.  He  dreaded  the  vexation  caused  by  the  enemy,  lest  the 
adversaries  of  Israel  should  misdeem,  i.e.,  interpret  falsely,  these 
calamities,  treat  them  in  a  manner  foreign  to  their  real  origin  and 
natural  intention,  inferring  from  them  Yahweh's  inability  to  save 
and  their  own  self-sufficient  superiority. 

28  f.  Read  in  close  connection  with  the  foregoing,  this  descrip- 

235 


32:29  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

29.  ^  Oh  that  they  were  wise,  that  they  understood  this/ 
That  they  would  consider  their  latter  end  I 

30.  How  should  one  chase  a  thousand, 
And  two  put  ten  thousand  to  flight. 
Except  their  Rock  ^  had  sold  them. 
And  the  Lord  had  dehvered  them  up? 

31.  For  their  rock  ^  is  not  as  our  Rock,'' 
Even  our  enemies  themselves  being  judges. 

32.  For  their  vine  is  of  the  vine  of  Sodom, 
And  of  the  fields  of  Gomorrah : 
Their  grapes  are  grapes  of  gall, 
Their  clusters  are  bitter : 

33.  Their  wine  is  the  poison  of  dragons,'' 
And  the  cruel  venom  of  asps. 

1  Gr.  they  were  not  wise  to  understand.  *  Gr.  God.  '  Gr.  gods.  *  Gr.  God. 
«  SV  serpents. 

lion  of  the  nation  destitute  of  insight  and  forethought  must  be 
taken  to  refer  to  the  heathen  enemy.  It  is  possible,  however,  to 
apply  it  to  Israel's  lack  of  practical  wisdom,  but  it  seems  more 
likely  that  vs.  30-31  are  a  parenthesis  or  interpolation,  and  that 
32  continues  the  description  of  the  enemy  thus  begun.  Void  of 
counsel,  lit.  perishing  so  far  as  regards  counsel. 

30.  This  and  the  following  verse  breaks  the  continuity  of  Yah- 
weh's  speech.  It  comes  from  a  time  of  military  disaster,  and  asks, 
How  could  a  small  number  of  people  put  to  flight  a  great  army? 
Surely  that  could  not  be  because  Israel's  God  was  not  able  to 
help,  it  must  be  because  for  some  reason  he  gave  them  up  to 
defeat.  Some  of  the  people  weak  in  faith  and  leaning  towards 
superstition  might  believe  that  Yahweh's  power  had  failed,  at  a 
critical  hour,  but  those  rightly  instructed  could  not,  for  a  mo- 
ment, harbor  such  a  thought ;  the  faithful  Israelite  cherished  the 
conviction  that  even  the  heathen  must  acknowledge  the  supe- 
riority of  Israel's  God ;  compare  Ex.  14 :  25 ;  i  Sam.  4:8;  Isa. 
41 :  1-7. 

32.  Connects  with  29  and  refers  to  the  nations.  Their  life, 
represented  by  the  vine,  is  corrupt,  its  produce,  their  wine,  poison- 
ous. For  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  as  types  of  extreme  wickedness, 
see  Isa.  i :  10;   3:9;  Jer.  23  :  14 ;   Ezek.  16  :  46-49. 

236 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


34.  Is  not  this  laid  up  in  store  with  me, 
Sealed  up  ^  among  my  treasures  ?  ^ 

35.  Vengeance  is  mine,  and  recompence,^ 
At  the  time  when  their  foot  shall  sUde: 
For  the  day  of  their  calamity  is  at  hand, 

And  the  things  that  are  to  come  upon  them  ^  shall 
make  haste. 

36.  For  the  Lord  shall  ^  judge  his  people, 
And  repent  himself  for  his  servants ; 
When  he  seeth  that  their  power  is  gone. 

And  there  is  none  remaining,  shut  up  or  left  at  large. 

*  m.  in  my  treasuries.        '  Sam.  Gr.  In  the  day  of  vengeance  I  will  recompense. 
»  Gr.  you.        *  SV  will. 


34-36.  The  wickedness  of  the  nations  will  be  punished  and 
Yahweh  will  interpose  on  behalf  of  his  people. 

34.  This,  i.e.,  the  wickedness  of  the  heathen  nations,  perhaps 
referring  to  the  cruel  deeds  of  the  Chaldeans.  Compare  Job 
14:  17;  Hos.  13:  12.  God  keeps  the  sins  stored  up  and  at  the 
suitable  time  will  confront  the  sinner  with  them.  Treasures 
should  be  treasuries  or  treasure-chambers ;  the  word  is  often  used 
of  the  storehouses  for  rain  or  snow,  etc.,  28:  12;  Jer.  10:  13; 
Ps-  33:  7;   Job  38:  22. 

35.  The  reading  of  Sam.  and  Gr.  is  to  be  preferred  here,  as  it 
carries  on  the  connection  in  better  form  and  makes  good  parallel- 
ism. 

Against  the  day  of  vengeance  and  recompence. 
Against  the  time  when  their  foot  slippeth. 

In  Rom.  12  :  19;  Heb.  10:  30  the  words  are  differently  applied; 
there  it  is  a  warning  against  taking  vengeance  into  one's  own  hand, 
here  Israel  is  not  in  a  position  to  do  that.  This  vengeance  is 
thought  of  as  in  the  immediate  future ;  the  time  when  God  will 
award  to  the  nations  the  things  that  he  destined  for  them  is  near 
at  hand.  This  expectation  was  strong  towards  the  end  of  the 
Exile  and  in  the  later  prophets. 

36.  Judge  his  people,  i.e.,  will  vindicate  them  against  their  foes , 
because  his  pity  has  been  awakened  by  their  thoroughly  desolate 
and  helpless  condition.  "  Neither  fettered  nor  free  remaineth," 
an  alliterative  and  proverbial  phrase  of  uncertain  origin  but  meant 

237 


32:37  ^^^  ^OOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

37.  And  he  shall  say,  Where  are  their  gods, 
The  rock  ^  in  which  they  trusted ;  ^ 

38.  Which  3  did  eat  the  fat  of  their  sacrifices, 
And  3  drank  the  wine  of  their  drink  ofifering? 
Let  them  rise  up  and  help  you. 

Let  them  be  your  protection. 

39.  See  now  that  I,  even  I,  am  he. 
And  there  is  no  god  with  me : 
I  kill,  and  I  make  alive ; 

I  have  wounded,  and  I  heal : 

And  there  is  none  that  can  deliver  out  of  my  hand. 

*  Gr.  om.  the  rock.        »  m.  took  refuge.        »  Gr.  reads  ye. 

to  show  that  all  classes  are  included;  see  i  Kgs.  14:  10;  for  a 
similar  mode  of  expression  compare  the  phrase  the  moist  with  the 
dry  in  29:  19. 

37-39.  In  the  extremity  of  their  need  Israel's  God  will  teach  the 
nation  the  meaning  of  the  real  facts  of  life.  His  judgments  have 
shown  the  utter  helplessness  of  heathen  gods. 

37.  After  the  judgment  on  the  heathen  and  the  salvation  of 
Israel  Yahweh  is  represented  as  asking  in  a  scornful  tone, 

"  Where  are  their  gods, 
The  rock  in  whom  they  sought  refuge?  " 

The  rock :  a  title  frequently  used  of  the  true  God  is  here  applied 
in  sarcasm  to  the  idols  of  the  heathen,  Jer.  2 :  38.  The  great 
movements  of  history  and  the  real  circumstances  of  life  teach  the 
people  of  Israel  that  their  God  alone  is  the  Lord  of  the  world  and 
the  real  help  in  the  time  of  need. 

38.  "  Where  are  they  that  ate  the  fat  of  their  sacrifices 

And  drank  the  wine  of  their  drink-offerings? 
Let  them  rise  up  and  help  you, 
Let  them  be  for  a  shelter  over  you." 

39.  In  sharp  contrast  to  the  helplessness  of  these  false  gods, 
who  merely  possessed  the  power  to  absorb  the  coarse  sacrifices  of 
their  worshippers,  stands  out  the  supreme  divinity  of  Yahweh ;  he 
is  God  alone,  there  is  none  other  that  exerts  effectively  these  di- 
vine powers.  He  can  slay  the  enemies  of  Israel  and  give  new  life 
to  the  nation  that  he  has  chosen.     I,  even  I,  am  he.     For  similar 

238 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


40.  For  I  lift  up  my  hand  to  heaven, 
And  say,  As  I  live  for  ever, 

41.  If  I  whet  ^  my  glittering  sword,^ 

And  mine  hand  take  hold  on  judgements ; 

1  will  render  vengeance  to  mine  adversaries, 
And  will  recompense  them  that  hate  me. 

42.  I  will  make  mine  arrows  drunk  with  blood. 
And  my  sword  shall  devour  flesh ; 

With  the  blood  of  the  slain  and  the  captives, 

2  From  the  head  ^  of  the  leaders  of  the  enemy.^ 


1  m.  Heb.  the  lightning  of  my  sword;  Gr.  my  sword  like  lightning.        « m.  From 
the  beginning  of  revenges  upon  the  enemy.        '  m.  the  hairy  head  of  the  enemy. 


presentations  of  lofty  monotheistic  doctrine  see  Isa.  41:4;  43 : 
10:  13.  It  is  national  life  that  the  passage  is  dealing  with,  not 
the  resurrection  or  restoration  of  individuals,  i  Sam.  2:6;  Hos. 
6:1.  Compare  the  great  question  addressed  to  Ezekiel,  Can  these 
bones  live,  Ezek.  37:3. 

40-42.  This  living  God  will  take  vengeance  on  Israel's  foes. 
This  promise  of  help  to  Israel  and  vengeance  on  the  enemy  is 
given  in  a  most  solemn  manner.  Yahweh  swears  by  himself 
(Heb.  6:13)  and  uses  the  gesture  of  one  taking  a  binding  obli- 
gation; his  very  life  and  honor  is  pledged  to  redeem  such  a 
promise. 

41.  When  Yahweh  once  whets  his  glittering  sword,  the  judg- 
ment will  be  completed  in  a  scene  of  terrible  slaughter,  which 
involves  the  destruction,  not  of  all  Gentiles,  but  of  those  nations 
that  have  inflicted  upon  Israel  the  most  cruel  oppression.  Such 
pictures  of  vengeance  upon  the  heathen  are  found  frequently  in 
the  later  prophetic  writings ;  Isa.  34  :  5  f . ;  49  :  26 ;  63  :  3-6 ; 
Jer.  12:12;  46  :  10.  The  question  might  be  raised  why  Yahweh 
should  avenge  the  blood  of  his  people  when  it  has  been  shed,  by 
his  own  arrangement,  as  a  punishment  for  their  sins?  vs.  21-26. 
Elsewhere  we  find  the  view  that  the  Assyrians  and  Chaldeans 
carry  on  this  work  in  a  spirit  of  ruthless  barbarism  and  to  an  ex- 
cessive degree,  Isa.  10:  7;  Zech.  i :  15.  Later  the  view  prevails 
that  whoever  attacks  Israel  attacks  Yahweh  and  commits  a 
deadly  sin  (Zech.  2:8).  Such  a  view  may  be  regarded  as  a  rever- 
sion in  a  different  form  to  the  earlier  tribal  position  denounced  by 
Amos  3 :  2. 

239 


32  :  43  "TH^  ^^^^  ^^  DEUTERONOMY 

Rom.  15  :io   43.       1  Rcjoicc,  0  yc  nations,  with  his  people :  ^ 
^"^^19:2*'  For  ^^  will  avenge  the  blood  of  his  servants, 

And  will  render  vengeance  to  his  adversaries. 
And  will  make  expiation  for  his  land,  for  his  people. 
D»  44.       And  Moses  came  and  spake  all  the  words  of  this 
song  in  the  ears  of  the  people,  he,  and  Hoshea  ^  the 

45.  son  of  Nun.    And  Moses  made  an  end  of  speaking 

46.  all  these  words  to  all  Israel :  and  he  said  unto  them, 

^  m.  Praise  his  people,  ye  nations  or  ye  nations,  his  people;  Gr.  inserts  before  1.  i. 
Rejoice,  ye  heavens,  with  him,  and  let  all  the  angels  of  God  worship  him,  and  also  further 
Additions ;  cf.  Heb.  1:6.        '  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Vg.  Joshua. 

43.  The  nations  are  called  upon  to  rejoice  with  Israel  when 
vengeance  is  taken  upon  the  foe.  It  may  be  that  other  nations 
have  suffered  at  the  hands  of  the  cruel  oppressors  and  so  they  may 
be  expected  to  exult  with  Israel  when  such  a  cry  is  raised  as  "  Baby- 
lon is  fallen."  The  enemy  has  desecrated  the  sacred  country  by 
treading  it  or  by  pouring  out  innocent  blood  upon  it,  and  so  expia- 
tion is  demanded.  Thus  concludes  a  noble  poem  which  reflects 
.some  of  the  highest  thoughts  of  Hebrew  thinkers,  the  belief  and 
hopes  that  have  played  a  great  part  in  instructing  and  inspiring 
the  community  in  one  of  its  darkest  hours ;  it  still  remains  as  one 
of  the  noblest  memorials  from  the  past,  showing  that  the  strong- 
est force  in  the  life  of  a  nation  is  the  sense  of  moral  responsibility 
which  comes  from  a  lofty  faith  in  God. 

44-47.  This  section  is  regarded  either  as  a  supplement  to  the 
song,  or  as  a  closing  exhortation  to  keep  the  Law.  Compare  what 
has  been  said,  31:  24.  If  the  whole  passage  originally  referred 
to  the  song,  then  all  these  words  has  taken  the  place  of  all  the 
words  of  this  song.  If  a  change  in  the  reference  of  these  verses 
has  taken  place,  we  must  regard  the  Greek  version  which  in  v.  44 
has  the  words  of  this  law  instead  of  the  words  of  this  song  as  a  later 
stage  in  the  same  process.  It  is  possible,  however,  to  take  the 
other  view,  viz.  that  there  was  no  prose  conclusion  to  the  song,  and 
that  V.  44  is  simply  an  addition  from  31 :  30 ;  in  this  connection  it 
is  to  be  noted  that  Gr.  repeats  in  this  place  31:22,  "So  Moses 
wrote  this  song  the  same  day  and  taught  it  to  the  children  of  Israel." 

44.  Where  Moses  came  from  at  this  stage  is  not  clear.  Hoshea, 
probably  a  scribal  slip,  as  the  versions  have  Joshua,  which  is  the 
form  used  regularly  in  the  Pentateuchal  sources  except  Num. 
13:8-16  (P). 

46.  The  people  are  called  to  give  the  whole  strength  of  their 
240 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  32  :  49 

Set  your  heart  unto  all  the  words  which  I  testify  unto 
you  this  day ;  which  ye  shall  command  your  children, 

47.  to  observe  to  do  all  the  words  of  this  law.  For  it  is  no 
vain  thing  for  you;  because  it  is  your  life,  and  thiough 
this  thing  ye  shall  prolong  your  days  upon  ^  the  land, 
whither  ye  go  over  ^  Jordan  to  possess  it. 

48.  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  that  selfsame  day,  P 

49.  saying.  Get  thee  up  into  this  mountain  of  Abarim, 
unto  mount  Nebo,  which  is  in  the  land  of  Moab, 

1  SV  in.        '  SV  the  Jordan. 

understanding  to  the  task 'of  grasping  the  spiritual  significance  and 
practical  bearing  of  this  teaching.  Testify,  a  strong  word,  to  call 
on  witnesses,  see  4  :  26  ;  31 :  28.  The  importance  of  teaching  and 
training  the  children  according  to  the  divine  precepts  is  once  more 
made  the  subject  of  emphatic  appeal ;  see  4 :  9. 

47.  A  great  saying  regarding  God's  word;  it  is  not  a  vain  or 
empty  thing  without  significance  or  real  strength,  as  are  so  many 
of  the  words  of  men ;  it  is  alive,  full  of  meaning ;  through  it  the 
nation  attains  real  life  and  abiding  prosperity.  With  this  should 
be  compared  the  glowing  description  in  Isa.  55  of  the  word  of  God, 
which  is  like  unto  the  great  forces  of  nature  which  never  return 
empty  or  fail  of  their  effect. 

5.  Commandment  concerning  the  Death  of  Moses;  32  :  48-52 

48-52.  Moses  was  commanded  to  ascend  Mount  Nebo  that  he 
might  die  there.  This  passage  belongs  to  the  Priestly  strata  of 
the  Pentateuch  and  is  a  duplicate  of  Num.  27  :  12-14,  by  the  same 
writer  or  another  of  the  same  school.  We  must  reckon  with  the 
possibility  that  the  present  passage  once  stood  in  the  place  occu- 
pied by  the  one  in  Num.  which  deals  with  the  same  subject ;  the 
latter  would  then  be  regarded  as  a  condensation  of  vs.  48-52 
made  necessary  by  the  rearrangement  of  the  documents. 

48.  That  selfsame  day.  One  of  P's  standing  expressions; 
Gen.  7  :  13 ;  17  :  23,  etc.  The  day  referred  to  is  named  in  i :  3 
(P),  Num.  33:50  ff.(P). 

49.  Get  thee  up  into  this  mountain  of  Abarim,  exactly  as  in 
Num.  27:  12.  Abarim  perhaps  means  the  parts  beyond,  i.e.  east 
of  the  Jordan,  a  range  of  the  highlands  of  Moab  sloping  towards 
the  Arabah  and  the  Dead  Sea,  of  which  Nebo  was  an  individual 

R  241 


32  :  50  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

that  is  over  against  Jericho;  and  behold  the  land 
of  Canaan,  which  I  give  unto  the  children  of  Israel 

50.  for  a  possession :  and  die  in  the  mount  whither  thou 
goest  up,  and  be  gathered  unto  thy  people ;  as  Aaron 
thy  brother  died  in  mount  Hor,  and  was  gathered 

51.  unto  his  people:  because  ye  trespassed  against  me 
in  the  midst  of  the  children  of  Israel  at  the  waters  of 
Meribah  of  Kadesh,  in  the  wilderness  of  Zin  :  be- 
cause ye  sanctified  me  not  in  the  midst  of  the  children 

52.  of  Israel.  For  thou  shalt  see  the  land  before  thee; 
but  thou  shalt  not  go  thither  into  the  land  ^  which 
I  give  the  children  of  Israel.^ 

1  Gr.  om.  which  I  give,  etc. 

mountain.  In  Num.  33 :  47  (P),  where  we  read  "  the  mountain 
of  Abarim  in  front  of  Nebo,"  Nebo  may  be  the  name  of  a  city 
in  the  same  locality;  compare  3  :  17,27.  Moses  would  scarcely 
need  to  be  informed  of  the  exact  position  of  Nebo.  For  P's  usual 
phrase,  see  Num.  22:  i.  The  Hebrew  form  for  I  here  and  the 
phrase  for  a  possession  instead  of  for  an  inheritance  is  character- 
istic for  P. 

50.  Similar  in  substance  to  Num.  27:  13.  Gathered  unto  thy 
people,  a  regular  phrase  of  P  used  only  by  this  writer  in  the  O.  T., 
Gen.  25:8;  35:29;  Num.  20:24,  etc.  Probably  the  words 
thy  people  are  here  used  in  the  primitive  sense  of  father's  kin. 
For  Aaron's  death,  see  Num.  20:  22-27  (P)-  The  position  of 
Mt.  Hor  cannot  be  identified  with  any  certainty.  In  mount  Hor, 
the  original  has  in  Hor  the  Mount,  and  in  this  unusual  order  else- 
where in  P. 

51.  Trespassed  against  me,  or  brake  forth  with  me,  a  word  be- 
longing mainly  to  the  Priestly  school  as  represented  by  P,  Ezek., 
and  Chron.  Sanctified  me  not,  did  not  treat  me  as  holy;  did  not 
pay  to  Yahweh  the  honor  demanded  by  his  nature  and  unique 
position.  This  is  illustrated  by  Num.  20 :  10.  In  the  word 
sanctify  there  is  probably  a  play  upon  the  similar  sound  in  Kadesh. 
The  wilderness  of  Zin,  evidently  a  name  for  the  territory  near 
Kadesh,  see  i :  2 ;   and  compare  Num.  $s  :  36. 

52.  This  verse  does  not  occur  in  the  parallel  passage  in  Num. 
Before  thee,  lit.,  from  in  front,  i.e.  from  a  distance,  afar  ofiF.  The 
Greek  has  simply  opposite  thou  shalt  see  the  land,  but  thou  shalt  not 

242 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


33 


33.   And  this  is  the  blessing,  wherewith  Moses  the  man  of  JE 
God  blessed  the  children  of  Israel  before  his  death. 


enter  into  it.     For  another  reason  why  the  prohibition  was  given, 
see  1 :  37. 

6.  The  Blessing  of  Moses  ;  Chap.  33 

The  poem  that  bears  this  name  is  quite  different  in  character 
from  the  song  contained  in  the  previous  chapter.  The  analysis 
of  the  present  chapter  is  as  follows:  i,  The  superscription  attrib- 
uting the  Blessing  to  Moses  ;  2-5,  26-29,  the  framework  in  which 
the  blessing  is  set ;  6-25,  a  series  of  oracular  utterances  concerning 
the  character  and  destiny  of  the  different  tribes.  Except  the 
first,  each  of  these  oracles  or  blessings  is  provided  with  a  separate 
superscription ;  as  there  is  nothing  of  this  kind  in  Gen.  49,  their 
originality  may  be  questioned.  The  order  of  the  tribes  is  not  the 
usual  one  (compare  Gen.  49;  Exod.  1:2),  and  Simeon  is  missing 
altogether.  Some  Greek  Mss.  have,  "  And  let  Simeon  be  great 
in  number,"  and  some  modern  scholars  have  tried  to  restore  the 
name  of  Simeon  from  the  similar  word  Shema  (hear)  in  v.  7. 
The  more  likely  explanation  is  that  Simeon  is  passed  over  in  silence 
because  at  the  time  when  this  poem  was  composed  this  tribe  had 
already  been  absorbed  in  Judah  and  in  the  clans  dwelling  south  of 
Judah.  Compare  Judg.  1:3;  Gen.  49  :  5  ff.  As  compared  with 
the  Blessing  of  Jacob,  Gen.  49,  these  utterances  are  more  eulogis- 
tic and  optimistic  and  bear  marks  of  a  more  advanced  religious 
and  ecclesiastical  character. 

In  considering  the  question  of  date  it  is  necessary  to  take  sepa- 
rately the  vs.  2-5,  26-29 ;  this  is  no  doubt  of  later  origin  than  the 
main  body  of  the  chapter.  This  poem,  which  now  serves  as  intro- 
duction and  close  for  the  series  of  oracles,  belongs  probably  to  the 
late  Exilic  period  ;  it  is  similar  to  many  of  the  compositions  found 
in  the  Book  of  Psalms.  It  is  not  possible  to  fix  with  absolute 
accuracy  the  date  of  the  Blessing,  but  the  references  to  the  condi- 
tion of  Israel  and  Judah  point  to  a  time  in  the  first  half  of  the  eighth 
century  B.C.  It  may  have  been  handed  down  in  the  Elohistic 
document,  that  author  having  derived  it  from  the  priestly  circles 
in  the  North;  later  it  was  rearranged  and  transferred  to  its 
present  place.  The  text  is  in  some  places  in  poor  condition,  and 
in  these  cases  the  versions  do  not  render  much  help ;  but  when  the 
different  features  of  the  oracles  are  carefully  noted,  they  yield 
many  interesting  and  helpful  suggestions  as  to  the  hopes  and  ideals 
of  those  early  days. 

I.  The  superscription.  This  verse  may  originally  have  been 
connected  with  31:23  (E).    Before  his  deatii,  compare  Gen. 

243 


33  :  2  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

2.  And  he  said, 

The  Lord  came  from  Sinai, 
And  rose  from  Seir  unto  them ;  ^ 
He  shined  forth  from  mount  Paran, 
jude  14  And  he  came  from  ^  the  ten  thousands  of  holy  ones : ' 

At  his  right  hand  *  was  a  fiery  law  unto  them."* 

*  Gr.  us.  »  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  Vg.  vnlh  or  with  him.  *  m.  Heb.  holiness. 

4  m.  was  fire,  a  law;  or  were  streams  for  them.    Gr.  reads  were  his  angels  with  him. 

Sq:  i6  (E).  It  was  believed  that  the  veil  of  the  future  was  often 
opened  for  those  about  to  die,  and  that  hence  the  last  words  were 
freighted  with  special  knowledge  and  power.  In  this  case  there 
is  the  additional  weight  derived  from  the  fact  that  Moses  was  in 
the  fullest  sense  the  man  of  God.  This  was  a  favorite  designation 
of  a  prophet,  but  is  applied  to  Moses  again  only  in  Josh.  14 :  6 
and  the  title  of  Ps.  90. 

2-5.  First  part  of  the  Psalm  or  framework,  the  description  of 
a  theophany  to  be  compared  with  those  pictured  in  Judg.  5:4; 
Hab.  3:3;  Ps.  68 :  8  f .  Yahweh  comes  in  majesty  and  assumes 
kingship  over  his  people. 

2.  There  are  several  difl5culties  in  this  short  verse ;  on  the  whole 
the  best  result  seems  to  come  from  the  following  translation : 

Yahweh  came  from  Sinai, 

And  from  Seir  beamed  upon  his  people; 

He  shined  forth  from  Mount  Paran, 
And  came  from  Meribah-Kadesh, 

From  his  right  hand  was  a  burning  fire  for  them. 

The  fifth  line  is  in  the  Hebrew  unintelligible  and  it  disturbs  the 
balance  of  the  poem,  which  has  mostly  four-lined  stanzas.  Sinai : 
for  this  mountain  D  uses  the  name  Horeb ;  see  i :  2-6.  This  does 
not  refer  to  the  giving  of  the  Law  when  Yahweh  came  down 
upon  Sinai,  Exod.  19 :  18-20,  but  he  came  from  Sinai,  passing 
through  the  places  named,  to  manifest  his  power  to  the  people 
and  inspire  them  in  their  struggles  and  battles.  This  mountain 
must  have  been  a  sacred  region  long  before  the  Israelites  came 
there.  Seir,  in  Edom,  a  country  generally  regarded  as  hostile 
to  Israel,  yet  a  similar  representation  is  found  in  Judg.  5:4: 

"  Yahweh  when  thou  comest  forth  from  Seir, 
When  thou  marchedst  from  the  field  of  Edom." 

Compare  also  Hab.  3:3.  The  site  of  Paran  is  uncertain ;  accord- 
ing to  I  Kgs.  11:  1 7  f .  it  lay  between  Midian  and  Egypt,  but  that 

244 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


3.  Yea,  he  loveth  the  peoples ;  ^ 
All  his  saints  *  are  in  thy  hand : 
And  they  sat  down  at  tiiy  feet  ; 
Every  one  shall  receive '  of  thy  ^  words. 

4.  Moses  commanded  us  a  law, 

An  inheritance  for  the  assembly  of  Jacob. 

^  m.  trihes;  Gr.  ani  he  spared  his  people.  *  m.  their  holy  ones.  »  m.  received. 
*  Gr.  his  {words,  the  law  which  Moses  commanded  us). 

can  scarcely  be  the  Paran  intended  in  1:2.  These  geographical 
puzzles  cannot  be  solved ;  of  more  importance  for  the  history  of 
religious  thought  is  the  fact  that  in  these  theophanies  Yahweh  is 
thought  of  not  as  descending  from  heaven,  but  as  coming  from  these 
particular  earthly  localities.  Another  interesting  point  of  this 
kind  is  that  the  Greek  version  reads,  *'  From  Mount  Paran  with 
myriads  of  Kadesh,  and  on  his  right  were  his  angels  with  him," 
and  up)on  this  rests  the  later  belief  that  the  Law  was  given  through 
the  ministration  of  angels,  Acts  7 :  53 ;  Gal.  3:19;  Heb.  2 ;  2. 
This  cannot  be  drawn  from  the  Hebrew  text,  as  if  the  word  in 
question  is  translated  myriads,  it  must  be,  as  in  RV,  from  the 
ten  thousands. 

3.  This  verse  is  even  more  difficult. 

"  Yea  he  loveth  his  people. 

All  his  saints  are  in  his  hand." 

This  couplet  declares  Yahweh's  love  for  Israel  and  his  care  for 
those  consecrated  to  his  service.  It  is  not  possible  to  give  a 
satisfactory  translation  of  the  next  two  lines;  RV  makes  the 
best  of  a  difficult  text  in  which  there  are  unintelligible  words  and 
irregular  phrases.  The  following  conjecture  is  worthy  of  con- 
sideration :      „  jjg  j^^i^g  j^g^  ^jjy  ,^^ . 

And  keeps  his  covenant  with  thee." 

4.  (A  law  Moses  commanded  us) 

His  possession  is  the  assembly  of  Jacob. 

The  first  of  these  two  lines  is  probably  an  explanatory  note,  as  it  is 
not  in  harmony  with  the  fact  that  Moses  is  the  speaker  and  there 
is  a  change  of  person;  the  second  line  connects  quite  well  with 
what  has  gone  before.  The  word  inheritance  or  possession,  which 
occurs  again  only  in  Exod.  6 :  8  and  six  places  in  Ezek.,  means  an 
earthly  possession,  and  refers  no  doubt  to  the  land  of  Canaan.  The 
formof  the  word  assembly  used  here  is  found  again  only  in  Neh.  5  :  7. 

24s 


33  :  5  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

5.  And  he  ^  was  king  in  Jeshurun, 

When  the  heads  of  the  people  were  gathered, 
All  the  tribes  of  Israel  together. 

6.  Let  Reuben  live,  and  not  die ; 
*  Yet  let  his  men  be  few.* 

7.  And  this  is  the  blessing  of  Judah :  and  he  said, 

>  m.  there  was  a  king.     Gr.  reads  and  he  shall  be  ruler  over  (in)  the  beloved  one. 
*  m.  And  let  not  his  nun,  etc.  So  Gr.  Let  him  be  many  in  number.  SV  Nor  let,  etc. 


S.       And  he  became  king  in  Jeshurun, 

When  the  heads  of  the  people  were  gathered  together, 
The  tribes  of  Israel  (came)  together. 

The  most  probable  meaning  of  this  is  that  Yahweh  became  king 
on  some  occasion  when  the  chiefs  of  the  nation  were  assembled 
together ;  the  time  might  be  supposed  to  be  when  they  gathered 
round  Sinai  to  receive  the  law,  or  more  likely,  as  we  have  read  at 
the  beginning  that  he  ca.me  from  Sinai,  when  they  were  gathered 
in  battle  array  to  defend  their  national  existence,  then  their  God 
manifested  his  presence  and  led  them  to  victory,  Exod.  15:  18; 
Isa.  33  :  22. 

Jeshurun,  the  use  of  the  title  is  meant  to  place  the  nation  in  a 
favorable  light;  see  the  note  on  32 :  15  and  observe  that  this  title 
occurs  in  v.  26,  where  we  find  the  continuation  of  this  psalm. 

6-25.  The  oracles  concerning  the  different  tribes. 

Reuben. 

Let  Reuben  live  and  not  die, 
But  let  his  men  be  few. 

This  couplet  deals  with  the  fate  of  Reuben  the  firstborn  (Gen. 
49 '  3) ;  translated  thus  literally  it  cannot  be  said  to  contain  much 
"  blessing  " ;  to  bring  anything  of  that  nature  out  of  it  we  must 
suppose  that  when  it  was  written  this  tribe  was  on  the  point  of 
extinction,  with  all  its  glorious  activities  in  the  past,  and  the 
desire  is  expressed  that  it  may  not  completely  vanish.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  we  know  that  this  tribe  early  lost  its  military 
strength  and  political  importance.  Its  indifference  at  a  great 
national  crisis  is  mentioned  in  a  reproachful  tone,  Judg.  5  :  15; 
many  of  the  cities  assigned  to  it  appear  to  have  passed  into  the 
possession  of  Moab.  A  similar  fate  seems  to  have  overtaken 
Simeon,  whose  possessions  were  absorbed  in  the  territory  of  Judah. 

246 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  33  :  8 

Hear,  Lord,  the  voice  of  Judah, 
And  bring  him  in  unto  his  people: 
^  With  his  hands  he  contended  for  himself ;  ^ 
And  thou  shalt  be  an  help  against  his  adversaries. 
8.       And  of  Levi  he  said, 

Thy  Thummim  and  thy  Urim  are  with  thy  godly  one,^ 
Whom  thou  didst  prove  at  Massah, 
With  whom  thou  didst  strive  at  the  waters  of  Meri- 
bah; 

1  m.  Let  his  hands  be  sufficient  for  him  {or  for  them).  '  m.  him  whom  thou  lovest. 
Gr.  reads  (1.  i)  Give  to  Levi  his  manifestations,  and  his  truth  to  the  holy  one. 

7.  Judah. 

Hear  O  Yahweh  Judah's  cry 

And  bring  him  back  to  his  people ; 
With  thy  hands  contend  for  him, 

And  be  to  him  a  help  against  his  foes. 

This  is  evidently  written  by  an  Israelite  from  the  point  of  view 
of  the  North  Kingdom  and  the  great  schism ;  Judah  is  in  danger 
and  needs  the  sympathy  of  his  brethren  and  the  help  of  his  God. 
It  is  not  possible  to  say  what  the  historical  situation  here  referred 
to  actually  was ;  it  may  have  been  some  severe  conflict  with  Syria 
or  Edom,  2  Kgs.  12:  18;  14:  7.  It  is  clear  that  Israel  properly 
so  called  is  the  more  important  kingdom  and  that  devout  Israel- 
ites look  towards  Judah  in  a  spirit  of  brotherly  sympathy. 

8-1 1.  Levi.  The  importance  of  Levi  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  his 
blessing  runs  through  the  next  four  verses.  It  should  be  noted 
that  in  Gen.  49 :  5  there  is  no  trace  of  the  ecclesiastical  character 
here  ascribed  to  this  tribe. 

8.  Give  Levi  thy  Thummim, 
And  thy  Urim  to  thy  favorite, 
Whom  thou  didst  prove  at  Massah ; 

With  whom  Thou  contendest  at  the  waters  of  Meribah. 

Thummim  and  Urim,  elsewhere  always  in  the  reverse  order,  as 
Exod.  28:30;  Lev.  8:8,  etc.,  the  sacred  lot  by  which  divine 
decisions  were  given  by  the  priest,  perhaps  one  representing 
"  Yes  "  and  the  other  "  No."  Compare  i  Sam.  14 :  41 ;  Gr. 
"  If  this  iniquity  be  in  me  or  in  Jonathan  my  son,  O  Yahweh  God 
of  Israel  give  Thummim."  It  is  difl&cult  to  connect  this  verse 
with  the  narrative  in  Exod.  17:1-7;  Num.  20:1-13;  compare 

247 


33  :  9  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

9.       Who  said  of  his  father,  and  of  his  mother,  I  have  not 
seen  him ;  ^ 
Neither  did  he  acknowledge  his  brethren, 
Nor  knew  he  his  own  children  : 
For  they  have  observed  thy  word, 
And  keep  thy  covenant. 

10.  They  shall  teach  Jacob  thy  judgements,' 
And  Israel  thy  law  : 

They  shall  put  incense  ^  before  thee,' 
And  whole  burnt  offering  upon  thine  altar. 

11.  Bless,  Lord,  his  substance. 

And  accept  the  work  of  his  hands : 

*  Gr.  thee.       *  SV  ordinances.        *  m.  Heb.  in  thy  nostrils;  Gr.  wrath. 

Deut.  6 :  16 ;  9:22;  in  those  accounts  it  is  the  people  who  proved 
Yahweh  at  Massah  and  contended  with  him  at  Meribah.  Some 
other  version  of  the  incidents  at  these  places,  which  showed  how 
the  faithfulness  of  the  tribe  of  Levi  stood  the  test,  may  have  been 
in  existence. 

9.  Probably  there  is  here  a  reference  to  Exod.  32 :  28.  When 
it  comes  to  a  question  of  religious  duty  the  men  of  this  tribe  allow 
physical  relationship  and  social  ties  to  fall  into  the  background. 
Some  would  explain  it  with  a  special  reference  to  the  judicial 
action  against  heresy  and  idolatry  as  in  17:8  f.,  but  it  probably 
has  a  more  general  reference.  Something  of  the  same  spirit  is 
demanded  of  all  true  Israelites  in  13  :  6  f.  Compare  Lev.  21 :  11 ; 
Matt.  10 :  37.  If  this  means  that  the  service  of  God,  in  the  high- 
est sense,  viz.  the  pursuit  of  righteousness,  is  to  have  the  first 
claim,  it  will  be  an  inspiring  obligation ;  but  mixed  with  ignorance 
and  spiritual  pride  it  may  yield  a  fiery  sectarian  fanaticism. 

II.  They  teach  Jacob  thy  judgements, 

And  Israel  thine  instruction. 
They  place  incense  in  thy  nostril, 
And  whole  offerings  upon  thine  altar. 

Here  the  priestly  duties  are  set  forth  fully  though  in  brief  form. 
They  give  decisions  in  legal  cases  and  instruction  bearing  upon 
daily  conduct  and  the  order  of  worship ;  in  the  worship  they  stand 
before  God  as  the  representatives  of  the  people.  In  harmony  with 
the  Deuteronomic  standpoint  this  refers  to  the  whole  tribe  of 

248 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


Smite  through  the  loins  of  them  that  rise  up  against 

him, 
And  of  them  that  hate  him,  that  they  rise  not  again. 
12.       Of  Benjamin  he  said. 

The  beloved  of  the  Lord  shall  dwell  in  safety  by  him ; 
He  *  covereth  him  all  the  day  long, 
And  he  dwelleth  between  his  shoulders. 

1  Gr.  God. 

Levi  and  not  to  the  sons  of  Aaron  in  the  narrower  sense.  The 
desire  is  here  strongly  expressed  that  the  sacred  tribe  may  find 
favor  with  the  God  of  Israel,  success  in  its  varied  work,  and  vic- 
tory over  all  rivals  and  enemies.  These  verses  show  that  at  the 
time  the  Blessings  were  written  the  tribe  of  Levi  had  attained 
to  a  definite  ecclesiastical  position  and  claimed  the  monopoly  of 
priestly  functions,  though  they  also  suggest  that  this  position  was 
not  altogether  free  from  attack.  The  history  of  the  tribe  cannot 
be  traced  clearly  from  the  beginning,  but  it  is  plain  that  a  different 
view  is  given  of  it  here  from  what  we  find  in  Gen.  49 ;  and  here  as 
elsewhere  in  Deut.  the  distinction  between  the  Levites  and  the 
priests,  the  sons  of  Aaron,  is  not  yet  recognized. 

12.  Benjamin.  In  Gen.  49:  27  the  reference  to  this  tribe  is 
equally  short. 

"  Benjamin  is  a  wolf  that  raveneth. 
In  the  morning  he  shall  devour  the  prey 
And  at  even  he  shall  divide  the  spoil." 

These  words  set  forth  the  boldness  and  bravery  of  the  tribe  in 
war.  The  present  oracle,  on  the  other  hand,  reflects  a  time  of 
peace  and  prosperity. 

Benjamin  is  the  favorite  of  Yahweh, 
He  dwells  in  security  all  the  days ; 
The  Most  High  is  his  protector. 
And  dwells  between  his  mountain  slopes. 

Beloved  or  favorite  is  a  strong  word ;  it  is  applied  to  the  whole 
people,  Jer.  11 :  15,  to  the  faithful  servants  of  Yahweh,  Ps,  60:  7, 
and  Solomon  receives  a  similar  title,  2  Sam.  12:  25.  That  the 
child  Benjamin  is  regarded  with  such  tender  affection  by  Jacob 
may  have  influenced  the  poet  in  his  choice  of  this  special  term  of 
endearment.  Many  think  that  the  place  of  Yahweh's  dwelling 
here  referred  to  is  Jerusalem,  which  is  treated  as  belonging  to  the 

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33  :  13  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

13.  And  of  Joseph  he  said, 
Blessed  of  the  Lord  be  his  land ; 

For  the  precious  things  of  heaven,  for  the  dew, 
And  for  the  deep  that  coucheth  beneath. 

14.  And  for  the  precious  things  of  the  fruits  of  the  sun, 
And  for  the  precious  things  of  the  growth  of  the 

moons, 

15.  And  for  the  chief  things  ^  of  the  ancient  mountains, 

1  Gr.  From  the  top  of  the  ancient  mountains,  and  from  the  top  of,  etc. 

territory  of  Benjamin,  Josh.  18:  28;  but  it  is  possible  that  the 
reference  may  be  to  Bethel,  the  chief  sanctuary  of  the  North 
Kingdom,  Josh.  18 :  13. 

'^3~^7-  Joseph.  The  fortunes  of  these  tribes  (Ephraim  and 
Manasseh)  are  treated  at  greater  length,  as  is  natural  from  the 
pen  of  an  Israelite  of  the  North ;  the  blessing  resembles  in  many 
phrases  the  oracle  of  Gen.  49  :  25,  26,  and  one  may  have  been 
influenced  by  the  other.  These  tribes  possess  a  fertile  soil  and 
are  remarkable  for  unconquerable  military  strength. 

13.  Choice  fruits,  that  which  is  noble  and  dignified,  in  the  O.  T. 
only  of  fruits.  Cant.  4:15-16;  7:14.  Here  it  may  have  a 
somewhat  wider  meaning  including  the  forces  of  nature  which 
produce  fruitf ulness  and  noble  gifts. 

The  lordliest  things  that  come  from  heaven  above, 
And  from  the  water-floods  that  couch  beneath. 

The  reference  is  to  the  rain  and  dew  from  heaven  and  the  water 
from  the  springs  below.  Coucheth  like  an  animal;  see  29:  20; 
Gen.  4:7.  The  word  used  for  deep  is  a  similar  one  to  the  name  of  the 
great  Babylonian  sea-monster.  It  is  a  striking  phrase  used  also 
in  Gen.  49 :  25  and  not  likely  to  be  original  in  both  places. 

14.  The  words  corresponding  to  this  verse.  Gen.  49 :  25,  are  merely 

Blessings  of  the  breasts,  and  of  the  womb. 

Originally  there  may  have  been  a  much  closer  resemblance  be- 
tween the  two  passages.  Our  present  text  can  only  be  interpreted 
of  the  beneficent  effect  of  light  upon  the  world  of  nature,  in  quick- 
ening its  growth  and  enriching  its  produce. 

15.  The  security  and  strength  of  Joseph  is  guaranteed  by  the 
fact  that  he  possesses : 

The  best  produce  from  the  primaeval  mountains, 
And  the  choice  fruits  of  the  everlasting  hills. 
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THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


And  for  the  precious  things  of  the  everlasting  hills, 

1 6.  And  for  the  precious  things  of  the  earth  and  the  ful- 

ness thereof, 
And  the  good  will  of  him  that  dwelt  in  the  bush : 
Let  the  blessing  come  upon  the  head  of  Josepn, 
And  upon  the  crown  of  the  head  of  him  ^that  was 

separate  from*  his  brethren. 

17.  2 The  firstling  of  his  bullock,^  majesty  is  his; 
And  his  horns  are  the  horns  of  the  wild-ox.^ 

With  them  he  shall  push  *  the  peoples  all  of  them, 

even  the  ends  of  the  earth : 
And  they  are  the  ten  thousands  of  Ephraim, 
And  they  are  the  thousands  of  Manasseh. 

1  m.  that  is  prince  among;  Gr.  who  was  glorified  above.  *  m.  His  firstling  bullock, 
SY  The  firstling  of  his  herd.        ^Gt.  unicorn.        *  m.  gore. 

16.  Him  that  dwelt  in  the  bush.  A  reference  to  the  revelation 
made  to  Moses,  Ex.  3  :  2-4.  The  word  for  Sinai  and  the  word  here 
used  for  thorn-bush  are  very  similar  and  it  has  been  suggested  that 
the  former  may  be  meant  here.  In  favor  of  this  is  the  fact  that 
the  word  dwell  suggests  something  more  permanent  than  the  di- 
vine appearance  at  the  burning  bush.  It  is  probable,  however, 
that  a  reference  to  One  who  dwelt  in  the  thorn-bush  meant  more 
to  the  ancient  Israelite  than  we  can  now  understand ;  it  is  only 
faint  reminiscences  of  these  primitive  beliefs  that  now  remain  in 
poetic  form.  Separate,  here  refers  not  to  priestly  consecration, 
but  to  princely  dignity ;  it  is  in  worldly  power  and  political  supe- 
riority that  Joseph  is  distinguished  above  his  brethren. 

17.  The  poet  brings  the  blessing  of  Joseph  to  a  close  by  magni- 
fying the  warlike  strength  of  these  two  tribes ;  with  rich  exuber- 
ance of  language  he  has  spoken  throughout  of  Joseph's  wealth  and 
power ;  he  now  declares  that  this  consists  in  the  tribes  of  Ephraim 
and  Manasseh  with  their  numerous  clans  and  families.  The  gen- 
eral intention  is  clear  to  express  the  powers  of  this  people  under 
the  figure  of  a  young  bullock  that  possesses  majestic  strength,  and 
like  the  famous  wild-ox  of  ancient  times  treads  down  with  wild 
fury  all  that  oppose  his  onward  march.  The  difficulty  is  to  fix 
the  exact  personal  reference;  some  apply  to  Ephraim  (Gen.  48  :  14), 
the  ancients  favored  Joshua,  and  the  moderns  Jeroboam  II,  sup- 
posed to  be  the  monarch  reigning  when  the  poem  was  written. 

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33  :  l8  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

i8.       And  of  Zebulun  he  said, 

Rejoice,  Zebulun,  in  thy  going  out ; 
And  Issachar,  in  thy  tents. 

19.  *  They  shall  call  the  peoples  unto  the  moimtain ;  ^ 
There  shall  they  offer  sacrifices  of  righteousness: 
For  they  shall  suck  the  abundance  of  the  seas, 

*  And  the  hidden  treasures  of  the  sand.* 

20.  And  of  Gad  he  said, 

Blessed  be  he  that  enlargeth  Gad; 

>  Gr.  reads  They  shall  utterly  destroy  the  nations;  ye  shall  caU  (men)  there,  etc. 
*  Gr.  reads  And  the  merchandise  of  them  that  dwell  by  the  sea-shore. 

18-19.  Zebulun  and  Issachar.  Here  two  tribes  are  grouped 
together,  though  they  represent  two  different  sides  of  life,  —  the 
wanderings  and  adventures  connected  with  the  sea,  and  the  quieter, 
more  regular  occupations  of  agriculture ;  Gen.  49:13-15  divides 
their  tasks  in  a  similar  manner,  with  a  slightly  contemptuous 
reference  to  the  one  who  has  chosen  the  more  prosaic  form  of 
service.  These  two  tribes  are  represented  as  taking  part  zealously 
in  the  great  gathering  for  battle  celebrated  in  the  song  of  Deborah, 
Judg.  s :  14.  Here  we  are  told  that  they  celebrated  religious 
services  and  offered  sacrifices  at  a  mountain  sanctuary,  perhaps 
Mt.  Carmel  (i  Kings  18) ;  these  sacrifices  are  offered  in  the  right 
spirit  of  worship  to  God  and  friendliness  to  their  neighbors,  they 
are  hence  sacrifices  of  righteousness.  To  these  religious  services 
peoples  are  invited,  not  Israelites  merely,  but  other  neighboring 
tribes.  It  is  supposed  that  in  those  early  days  great  fairs  were 
held  which  were  attended  by  people  from  a  wide  surrounding 
district  and  which  served  both  commercial  and  religious  purposes. 
This  kind  of  worship  could  not  be  treated  with  any  tolerance 
from  a  Deuteronomic  point  of  view,  but  this  poem  carries  the  reader 
back  to  earlier  times  when  the  religious  life  of  the  nation  had  a  rich 
variety  of  manifestations  and  the  doctrine  of  one  central  sanc- 
tuary was  not  fully  accepted.  The  tribes  are  to  be  enriched  by 
fisheries  and  sea-trade  as  well  as  by  various  forms  of  glassware. 

20-2 1.  Gad.  In  Gen.  49,  there  is  a  very  brief  reference  to  this 
tribe  in  the  following  words : 

Gad,  a  troop  shall  press  upon  him : 
But  he  shall  press  upon  their  heel. 

A  couplet  which  expresses  the  warlike  nature  of  the  tribe  in  a 
less  bold  and  heroic  fashion  than  is  done  in  the  present  passage, 

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THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


He  dwelleth  as  a  lioness, 

And  teareth  the  arm,  yea,  the  crown  of  the  head. 

21.  And  he  provided  ^  the  first  part  for  himself. 
For  there  was  the  lawgiver's^  portion  reserved; 
And  he  came  with  the  heads  of  the  people, 

'  He  executed  the  justice  of  the  Lord,^ 
And  his  judgements  with  Israel. 

22.  And  of  Dan  he  said, 
Dan  is  a  Uon's  whelp, 

That  leapeth  forth  from  Bashan. 

23.  And  of  NaphtaU  he  said, 

1  m.  ckose,  Heb.  saw.         *m  a  ruler's.         *  Gr.  reads  The  Lord  executed  justice. 
SV  He  executeth  the  righteousness  of  Jehovah  and  his  ordinances  with  Israel. 

where  Gad  is  compared  to  the  ravening  lioness.     See  the  com- 
parison of  Judah  to  a  lion,  Gen.  49 :  9. 

21.  Perhaps  this  stood  originally  as  follows  : 

He  looked  out  a  first  part  for  himself, 
For  there  was  a  portion  reserved  for  him ; 
He  performed  the  righteousness  of  Yahweh, 
And  his  ordinances  along  with  Israel. 

The  reference  is  to  Num.  32  :  6-16  f,  where  the  tribe  of  Gad,  hav- 
ing received  a  noble  portion  of  territory  east  of  the  Jordan,  engaged 
to  help  their  brethren  in  the  struggle  against  the  Canaanite.  The 
historical  facts  may  not  be  quite  clear,  but  there  is  a  great  living  idea 
of  mutual  obligation  and  helpfulness  among  brethren  of  the  same 
blood  and  faith. 

22.  This  oracle  is  exceedingly  short  and  simple;  it  is  more  com- 
plimentary than  the  statement  in  Gen.  49  :  17,  where  the  same  tribe 
is  compared  to  a  serpent  in  the  way,  an  adder  in  the  path,  that  hiteth  the 
horses'  heels,  etc.  There  is  a  bare  possibility  that  in  the  reference  to 
Dan  as  lion's  whelp  there  is  a  play  upon  the  name  Laish  (lion) ,  the 
earlier  name  of  the  city  Dan.  It  is  tiie  lion's  whelp,  not  Dan,  that 
springs  forth  from  Bashan ;  that  neighborhood  with  its  thickly  wooded 
district  might  well  afford  shelter  for  such  wild  animals.  We  have 
little  historical  information  about  this  tribe  except  that  a  body  of 
Danites  moved  from  their  earlier  settlements  in  the  southwest  of 
Ephraim  to  the  north  and  seized  Laish  at  the  foot  of  Hermon,  Judg.  8. 

23.  Naphtali.    This  tribe  is  found  in  a  specially  favorable  posi- 

453 


33:24 


THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


0  Naphtali,  satisfied  with  favour, 

And  full  with  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  : 

Possess  thou  the  west  ^  and  the  south. 

24.  And  of  Asher  he  said, 

Blessed  be  Asher  with  children ;  * 

Let  him  be  acceptable  unto  his  brethren, 

And  let  him  dip  his  foot  in  oil. 

25.  Thy  bars  ^  shall  be  iron  and  brass ; 

And  as  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be. 

26.  There  is  none  like  unto  ^  God,  O  Jeshurun,* 
Who  rideth  upon  the  heaven  for  thy  help, 
And  in  his  excellency  on  the  skies. 


^  m.  sea. 
the  beloved. 


*  m.  above  sons.       >  m.  shoes,  so  Gr.  his  sandal.       <  Gr.  the  God 


tion ;  the  favor  of  Israel's  God  has  bestowed  upon  him  a  goodly  heri 
tage. 

Sea  and  southland  he  has  in  possession. 

The  sea  is  the  lake  of  Genesareth ;  the  South  is  uncertain,  perhaps  \ 
means  the  pleasant  parts  adjoining  the  lake,  Isa.  9:1. 

24.  Asher.  See  Gen.  49 :  20.  Here  there  is  a  play  upon  th 
name  which  means  blessed.     The  first  line  should  read : 

Blessed  be  Asher  above  sons. 

That  is,  let  the  happiness  be  fulfilled  in  his  own  life  which  gav 
to  him  his  name  at  his  birth,  Gen.  30:  13 ;  may  he  have  a  nobl 
position  in  Israel's  family.  Ordinarily  men  use  oil  carefully  whej 
they  anoint  themselves,  but  his  territory  is  so  fruitful  in  olive 
that  he  can  apply  it  lavishly. 

25.  He  will  be  strong  to  resist  invasion,  and  it  is  to  be  hope< 
that  instead  of  diminishing  in  strength  with  age  his  power  ma] 
abide  and  increase. 

26-29.  The  close  of  the  Exilic  psalm  which  serves  as  a  frame 
work  for  the  blessing.  The  first  line  of  v.  26  seems  to  be  missing 
in  this  verse  the  name  Jeshunm  occurs  again  as  in  the  earlie 
part  of  this  poem.  The  RV  renders  correctly  the  Hebrew  ver 
sion.  There  is  none  like  unto  God,  O  Jeshurun ;  but  it  is  bette 
to  read  with  the  other  versions.  There  is  none  like  the  God  0 
Jeshurun;  this  involves  only  a  slight  change  in  the  text  and  give: 

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THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY  33 

27.  The  eternal  God  is  thy  dwelling  place, 
And  underneath  are  the  everlasting  arms : 
And  he  thrust  out  the  enemy  from  before  thee, 
And  said,  Destroy.  • 

28.  And  Israel  dwelleth  in  safety. 
The  fountain  ^  of  Jacob  alone, 
In  a  land  of  corn  and  wine ; 
Yea,  his  heavens  drop  down  dew. 

29.  Happy  art  thou,  O  Israel: 

Who  is  like  unto  thee,  a  people  saved  by  the  Lord, 

The  shield  of  thy  help. 

And  that  is  ^  the  sword  of  thy  excellency  ! 

1  Gr.  land.        «  SV  om.  that  is. 


a  more  suitable  thought  that  it  is  the  God  of  Israel  who  is  unique 
in  character  and  glory.  For  the  manner  of  Yahweh's  coming  on 
the  storm  clouds,  see  Ps.  18:  11;  68:  34;  104:  3.  And  in  his 
excellency,  etc.,  or  more  literally  dignity.  The  parallelism  would 
lead  us  to  expect  rather /or  thy  exaltation. 

27.  As  the  text  stands  we  must  interpret  that  the  God  of  the 
olden  time  was  a  refuge  or  dwelling  for  Israel  (Ps.  90 :  i)  and 
supported  him  with  arms  that  were  strong  and  never  weary 
(Hos.  11:3;  Isa.  33 :  2).  He  drove  out  the  enemy  so  that  they 
could  take  possession  of  the  land,  and  commanded  the  Israelites 
to  exterminate  the  foes  that  were  dangerous  to  their  national  life 
and  hurtful  to  their  religion.  This  is  the  review  of  one  who  lived 
long  after  the  heroic  age  to  which  allusion  is  made.  The  second 
line  is  diflficult  in  the  original;  a  plausible  suggestion  is  And  he 
broke  the  power  of  the  wicked. 

28.  At  this  stage  of  the  people's  history  the  lessons  have  been 
fully  learned  that  the  blessings  of  this  good  land  came  not  from 
the  local  Baals,  but  from  the  God  of  Israel,  and  that  religious  se- 
curity demands  a  certain  separateness  of  character  and  life  on 
the  part  of  those  who  during  their  history  have  been  the  subjects 
of  such  divine  care  and  guidance ;  see  Gen.  27  :  28 ;  Num.  23  :  9. 

29.  Having  such  a  powerful  God,  Israel  is  a  people  called  to  a 
unique  position  among  the  nations  of  the  world.  Their  God  is  a 
shield  to  defend  them  and  a  sword  to  attack  their  foes,  hence  their 
enemies  shall  come  to  them  with  feigned  flattering  homage  and 

255 


34  :  I  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

And  thine  enemies  shall  submit  themselves'  unto 

thee; 
And  thou  shalt  tread  upon  their  high  places.* 
P  34.       And  Moses  went  up  from  the  plains  of  Moab  unto 
mount  Nebo,  to  the  top  of  Pisgah,  that  is  over  against 
D»  Jericho.    And  the  Lord  shewed  him  all  the  land  of 

2.  Gilead,  unto  Dan ;  and  all  Naphtali,  and  ^  the  land 
of  Ephraim  and  Manasseh,  and  all  the  land  of  Judah, 

3.  imto  the  hinder*  sea;   and  the  South,  and  the  Plain 
of  the  valley  of  Jericho  the  city  of  palm  trees,  unto 

JE     4.   Zoar.    And  the    Lord  said  unto  him,   This  is  the 
land  which  I  sware  unto  Abraham,  unto  Isaac,  and 

*  m.  yield  feigned  obedience;  Gr.  speak  falsely.  *  Gr.  neck.  *  Gr.  Syr.  add  all. 
*  m.  western. 

they  will  ride  in  conquering  power  over  them.  Surely,  even  if 
clothed  in  somewhat  worldly  forms,  a  wonderful  faith  to  be  cher- 
ished by  a  people  in  its  days  of  defeat  and  darkness. 

7.   The  Death  of  Moses 

1-4.  To  Moses,  before  his  death,  there  is  given  a  view  of  the 
land.  He  viewed  the  land  from  Mt.  Nebo,  having  ascended  from 
the  plains  (steppes)  of  Moab.  "  Steppes  "  or  "  desert  land  of 
Moab  "  a  phrase  peculiar  to  P,  Josh.  13 :  32,  and  several  times  in 
Num.  Nebo,  a  mountain  in  the  Abarim  range,  situated  in  the 
tableland  of  Moab,  east  of  the  Jordan.  Pisgah  is  the  name  used 
by  JE  and  D  for  the  same  mountain.  See  on  3  :  27  and  cf.  Num. 
21 :  20.  In  V.  2  Moses  takes  in  at  one  glance  the  whole  range  of 
Israel's  future  territory  from  north  to  south  and  from  east  to 
west.  This,  of  course,  is  a  poetic  statement ;  the  noble  view  pos- 
sible from  the  mountain  peak  is  extended  imaginatively  in  all 
directions.  The  fact  that  the  Samaritan  version  reads  simply, 
"  And  the  Lord  showed  him  all  the  land  from  the  river  of  Egypt 
to  the  great  river  Euphrates  even  unto  the  utmost  sea,"  shows  that 
the  tradition  varied  in  this  particular  (cf .  1 1 :  24).  The  detailed  de- 
scription here  given  is  probably  an  expansion  of  the  original  text. 

3.  "  And  the  South  land,  the  Oval  (of  the  Jordan),  the  Plain  of 
Jericho,  etc."     The  site  of  Zoar  is  not  certain. 

4.  The  first  half  of  the  verse  is  the  promise  as  in  Exod.  33  :  i,  but 
Moses  himself  is  not  to  see  its  fulfilment  for  reasons  given  in  i :  33. 

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THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


unto  Jacob,  saying,  I  will  give  it  unto  thy  seed:   I 
have  caused  thee  to  see  it  with  thine  eyes,  but  thou 

5.  shalt  not  go  over  thither.    So  Moses  the  servant  of  D* 
the  Lord  died  there  in  the  land  of  Moab,^  according 

6.  to  the  word  of  the  Lord.  And  he  buried  him^  in 
the  valley  in  the  land  of  Moab  over  against  Beth- 
peor :  but  no  man  knoweth  of  his  sepulchre  unto  this 
day. 

7.  And  Moses  was  an  hundred  and  twenty  years  old  P 
when  he  died:  his  eye  was  not  dim,  nor  his  natiural 

8.  force  abated.  And  the  children  of  Israel  wept  for 
Moses  in  the  plains  of  Moab  thirty  days :  so  the  days 
of  weeping  in  the  mourning  for  Moses  were  ended. 

9.  And  Joshua  the  son  of  Nim  was  full  of  the  spirit  of 
wisdom;  for  Moses  had  laid  his  hands  upon  him: 
and  the  children  of  Israel  hearkened  unto  him,  and 

10.  did  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses.    And  there  hath  JE 

*  Gr.  om.  in  the  land  0/  Moab.        *  m.  he  was  buried. 

5-6.  In  this  region  Moses  died  and  was  buried  by  Yahweh, 
in  the  ravine  in  front  of  Beth-peor  (see  3  :  29;  4:  46).  "  In  the 
land  of  Moab,"  lacking  in  the  Greek  version,  may  be  an  explana- 
tory addition  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  Moses  did  not  die  in 
Canaan.  That  Moses  died,  according  to  the  word  of  Yahweh, 
lit.,  upon  the  mouth  of  Yahweh,  was  in  the  early  days  interpreted 
to  mean  that  he  died  by  "  the  kiss  of  God."  Though  no  man 
knows  his  grave  there  has  been  much  speculation  concerning  the 
death  of  Moses  and  round  this  subject  a  mass  of  apocryphal 
literature  has  gathered. 

7-9.  The  mourning  for  Moses  and  the  appointment  of  his 
successor.  ^  He  maintained  his  freshness  to  the  last.  But  cf.  the 
dififerent  view,  31:2.  As  to  the  length  of  the  mourning,  cf.  a 
similar  statement  concerning  Aaron,  Num.  20:  29  (P).  His  suc- 
cessor possessed  the  spirit  of  wisdom  because  he  had  been  con- 
secrated in  the  ceremony  which  P  mentions  elsewhere,  Num.  27: 
18-23;  Lev.  1:4;  Num.  8:10-12. 

10.  He  does  not,  however,  stand  on  the  same  plane  as  Moses, 
whom  Yahweh   knew   with   perfect   intimacy.     (Gen.    18:19; 

s  257 


34:  II  THE  BOOK  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

not  arisen  a  prophet  since  in  Israel  like  unto  Moses, 
D2  II.  whom  the  Lord  knew  face  to  face:  in  all  the  signs 
and  the  wonders,  which  the  Lord  sent  him  to  do  in 
the  land  of  Egypt,  to  Pharaoh,  and  to  all  his  servants, 
12.  and  to  all  his  land;  and  in  all  the  mighty  hand,  and 
in  all  the  great  terror,  which  Moses  wrought  in  the 
sight  of  all  Israel. 

Amos.  3:2),  there  are  successors  similar  in  spirit  but  not  equal  in 
rank.  This  close  communion  with  God  made  Moses  a  unique 
messenger  of  God,  armed  with  special  powers  for  the  deliverance 
and  leadership  of  Israel ;  using  these  powers  to  create  a  new  nation 
and  inspire  it  with  a  nobler  religious  idea,  he  has  made  an  everlast- 
ing name. 

Thus  closes  one  of  the  most  remarkable  books  of  the  Jewish 
Canon,  with  a  narrative  of  the  death  of  the  great  leader,  drawn 
from  a  variety  of  sources.  Probably  all  the  chief  documents 
had  an  account  of  the  end  of  this  great  career,  and  in  this  short 
chapter  they  are  all  drawn  upon  for  some  distinctive  features, 
and  later  scholars  give  brief  expansions  and  explanations.  While 
criticism  leads  us  to  modify  the  traditional  view  which  ascribed 
to  the  pen  of  Moses  the  whole  written  Law,  it  reminds  us  first 
that  Moses  was  indeed  a  great  national  leader  and  in  a  real  sense 
the  founder  of  Hebrew  religion ;  and  second,  this  composite  figure 
given  to  us  by  the  documents  as  now  arranged  presents  a  personal- 
ity of  ideal  features  and  magnificent  proportions  which  has  exerted 
a  tremendous  influence  on  the  world's  literature  and  its  religious 
life ;  linked  with  the  name  of  Moses  there  is  a  rich  heritage  of 
sacred  tradition  and  noble  inspiration,  to  which  we  are  indebted 
for  much  that  is  most  attractive  and  helpful  in  our  conception 
of  God's  action  in  history  and  in  human  life.  As  we  examine 
carefully  these  ancient  records,  we  are  taken  back  to  the  time  when 
men  were  beginning  to  realize  that  the  study  of  the  past  is  needful 
to  the  interpretation  of  the  living  present;  we  see  them  piece 
together  with  loving  care  the  fragments  of  their  scanty  records ; 
and  while  they  thus  show  their  eager  desire  for  a  knowledge  of  the 
facts,  they  teach  us  the  importance  of  reading  those  facts  in  the 
right  light,  that  is,  in  the  light  of  that  Divine  Presence  which 
alone  gives  meaning  to  human  history  and  hope  to  human  life. 


258 


APPENDIX 

Important  Dates  in  Hebrew  History  and 
Literature 

The  Exodus  from  Egypt,  about  1250. 

The  Song  of  Deborah. 

Early  Poems  and  Laws. 

The  Beginning  of  the  Monarchy  —  Saul,  1030. 

The  United  Kingdom,  loio. 

The  "Song  of  the  Bow,"  2  Sam.  i :  19  ff. 

The  Coronation  of  Solomon,  975. 

Solomon's  Statement  at  the  Dedication  of  the  Temple,  i  Kings.  8 

(Greek). 
The  Blessing  of  Jacob,  Gen.  49 :  i  £E. 
The  Division  of  the  Kingdom,  937. 
The  Book  of  the  Wars  of  Yahweh. 
The  Book  of  the  Upright. 
The  Beginnings  of  Written  History. 
The  Book  of  the  Covenant. 
The  Work  of  Elijah  and  Elisha,  875-795. 
The  Narratives  concerning  Elijah  and  Elisha,  850-750. 
The  Yahwist  Writings,  from  850. 
The  Elohist  History,  about  750. 
The  Reign  of  Jeroboam  II,  781-740. 
The  Blessing  of  Moses,  Deut.  33,  about  800. 
The  Death  of  Uzziah,  about  730. 
The  Prophets  of  the  Assyrian  Period,  Amos,  Hosea,  Isaiah,  and 

Micah,  750-690. 
The  Destruction  of  Samaria,  722. 
Manasseh's  Reactionary  Reign,  686-644. 
The  Union  of  J  and  E,  about  650. 
The  Call  of  Jeremiah,  627. 
The  Deuteronomic  Reformation,  621. 
The  First  Captivity. 
Ezekiel's  Ministry,  597. 
The  Holiness  Code. 
Deutero-Isaiah,  about  546. 
Capture  of  Babylon  by  Cyrus,  538. 

259 


APPENDIX 


Rebuilding  of  the  Temple,  520-516. 
Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi,  520. 
Promulgation  of  the  Priestly  Legislation, 
Ruth,  Joel,  Jonah,  Job. 
Compilation  of  the  Psalter,  450-150. 
Ecclesiastes,  about  200. 
Daniel,  about  164. 
Esther,  about  130. 


260 


INDEX 


In  the  following  index  of  topics  parallel  places  from  the  other  docu- 
ments of  the  Pentateuch  are  cited;  and  where  there  are  similar  laws  of 
the  Code  of  Hammurabi,  these  are  referred  to  by  the  abbreviation  C.  of 
H.,  and  the  number  of  the  paragraph  in  Johns'  English  Edition  is  given. 


of,    io:6;     32:50; 


Num. 


is; 


Aaron,    death 

Num.  20. 
Abarim,  Mt.  range,  32 :  49 ; 

27:12;  33:47f. 
Abib,  16:1;    Exod.    13:4;    23 

34:18. 
Amalek,    25:17;    Exod.    17:8   ff.; 

Num.  24 :  20. 
Amen,    27  :  15 ;    Num.  5 :  22. 
Ammonites,  2 :  20 ;    23 :  3. 
Amorites,  i :  7 ;  7 :  i ;    20 :  17  ;   Gen. 

15:16;  48  :  22 ;  Num.  21 :  13,  21, 

etc. 
Anakim,   i :  28 ;    2 :  10 ;    Num.    13 : 

28-33. 
Arabah,  1:1;   2:8;   11 :  30. 
Ark,  making  of,  10:  i  ff.;  Exod.  31 : 

iff.;  37:1. 
Amon,  2 :  24 ;  Num.  21 :  14 ;   22 :  36. 
Asher,  27 :  13 ;  33 :  24 ;  Gen.  30 :  i3 ; 

49 :  20. 
Asherah,    7:5;    12:3;    16:21;    cf. 

Lev.  26: 1. 
Avenger  of  blood,  19:6-12;    Nvun. 

35 :  19  ff- 

Baal-peor,  4:3;    Num.  25 : 3-5. 

Bashan,  3:1;  32 :  14. 

Bastard,  23  : 2. 

Benjamin,    27 :  12 ;     33  :  12 ;     Gen. 

49 :  27. 
Beth-peor,    3 :  29 ;    4 :  46 ;  34 :  6. 
Betrothal,     20  :  7 ;     22 :  23  ff. ;    28 : 

30;    Exod.   22:16. 


Blood,  not  to  be    eaten,    12:16,  23 

ff. ;  Gen.  9:4;  Lev.  3:17;  7:26; 

i7:iof. ;    19:26. 
Booths,     feast    of,     16:13;   31:10; 

Exod.   23:16;    34:22;    Lev.    23; 

Num.  29. 
Bribery,     10:17;    16:19;     27 

Exod.  23  : 8. 


25; 


Caleb,   1 :  36  ;  Num.  14 :  24-30. 
Children,  teaching,  4  :  10 ;  6  :  7-20 ; 

11:19;  31:13- 
Cities  of  Refuge,  4  :  41 ;    19  ;  Exod. 

21 :  12  ff. ;    Num.  35  :  9  ff. 
Covenant,  4 :  13  ;  10 :  8 ;  29 : 9 ;  Gen. 

15:18;  Exod.  24:8;  34:27,  etc. 

Dan,  33:22;    Gen.  49:17. 
Dathan  and  Abiram,  11:6;  Num.  16. 
Decalogue,   5;    Exod.  20. 
Devotion  (Ban),  2 :  34 ;   7 :  2 ;  13  :i5 ; 

Exod.  22  :  20;  Num.  21 :  2. 
Divination,    18:10;     Lev.    19:26; 

Num.  22  :  7;  23:  23. 
Divorce,  24 :  i ;    C.  of  H.  137,  138. 
Dowry  (Bride-price),   22:29;    Gen. 

34:12;  Exod.  22:16;    C.   of  H. 

160  f. 
Dreams,  13 :  i ;  Gen.  20  : 3  ;  31:11; 

Num.  12:  6. 

Ebal,  II :  29;    27:4-13. 
Edom    and    Moab,   2 :  i  ff . ;  23 : 3 ; 
Num.  20 :  14-21 ;    21 : 4-20. 


261 


INDEX 


Elders,  5:23;  19:12;  27:1;  29: 
10;  31:9-38;  Exod.  3:16-18; 
4:29;  24:1-14. 

Ephraim,  33 :  17  J   Gen.  48 :  13. 

Eunuchs,  33 : 1. 

Festivals,    16;     Exod.     13:23-34; 

Lev.  23 ;    Num.  28-29. 
Firstfruits,  18:4:   26:1  ff. ;    Exod. 

23:19;     34:26;     Lev.     23:17; 

Num.  18: 12. 
Firstlings,    15:19;     Exod.    22:29; 

Num.  18: 15. 
Foods,  forbidden,  14;    Lev.  11. 

Gad,  3:12;    33 :  20 ;    Gen.  49 :  19. 
Gates,  12:12,  some  25  times  and  only 

again  in  Pent.,  Exod.  20:10. 
Ger    (stranger  or  sojourner),    1:16; 

10:19;     14:21;     Exod.    ao:io; 

22:21;    23:9-12. 
Gerizim,  11:29;    27:13. 
Gilgal,  11:  30. 
Gleaning,  24 :  19 ;    Lev.  19:9;    23 : 

22. 
Golden  calf,  worship  of,  9;  Exod. 

32. 

High  places,  12:2;   Num.  33:52. 
Host  of  heaven,  4:19;    17:3. 
Horeb,  1:6;    4 :  10-15 ;  5:2;  9:8; 

18:16;  39:  z;  Exod.  3:  z;  17:6; 

33:6. 

Image  worship,  4  :  16 ;  5  •  8 ;  7 :  25  .* 

9:16;    27:15;    29:17;    28:64; 

Exod.  20:4;   34:17;   Lev.  19:4; 

26: 1. 
Incense,  33 :  10 ;  Num.  z6 : 6  f. ;  16 : 

40. 
Incest,  22:30;    27:20,  22,  23;    C. 

of  H.  154-158. 
Interest,     23:20;      Exod.     22:25; 

Lev.    25:36;    C.    of  H.   49;  50; 

100  times. 
Issachar,  33:  z8;    Gen.  49:z4. 


Jair,  2:14;   Num.  32:41. 

Jealous  (God),  4:24;    5:9;    6:15; 

32:21;     Exod.    20:5;    34:14- 
Jericho,  34 :  i,  3. 
Jeshurun,  32 :  15 ;     33 :  5,  26. 
Joseph,  33:13;    Gen.  49:22. 
Joshua,    1 :  38 ;     3 :  28 ;    31 : 3,    23 ; 

Exod.  17: 14;    24: 13. 
Judah,  33  :  7 ;    Gen.  49 :  8. 
Judges,    appointment    of,    i :  9  flf. ; 

Exod.  18;    Num.  11:14  S. 

Kadesh,     1:46;      32:51;      33:2; 

Num.  13:  26;    27: 14. 
Kingdom,  law  of  the,  17 :  14- 

Landmarks,  19:14;    27:17. 
Leavened    bread,    16:3,   4;    Exod. 

23: 15,  18;    Lev.  23:  6. 
Leprosy,  24 :  8 ;  28 :  35 ;  Lev.  13-14- 
Levi,  10:9;    33:8;    Gen.  49:5. 
Levirate  marriage,  25 :  5-10 ;  Gen.  38. 
Liability  for  neglect,  22:8;    Exod. 

21 :  33  ;  C.  of  H.  229. 
Loans,    15:16;     24:6-12;     Exod. 

22:  26;   C.  of  H.  117,  241. 
Lost  property,  22:  z;   Exod.  23:4; 

C.  of  H.  9. 

Manasseh,   3 :  i3 ;    33 :  i7- 

Manna,  8:3,   16;  Exod,  16 :  15,  33, 

34,   35;    Josh.   5:12. 
Manslaughter  and  murder,  19 : 1-13 ; 

21 : 1-9 ;  27 :  24,  25. 
Man-stealing,  24:7;    Exod.  3i:i6; 

C.  of  H.  14. 
Mantle,   24 :  13 ;    Exod.   22 :  26. 
Massah,  6:16;  9:22;  Exod.  z7 : 2,  7. 
Moses,  death  of,  34. 

Naphtali,  33 :  23 ;    Gen.  49 :  21. 
Nebo,  32:49;    34:1;    Num.  32:3* 

38. 
Negeb    (the    South),    1:7;     34^3; 

Gen.   20 : 1 ;  24 :  6 ;  Num.  13 :  17. 


262 


INDEX 


Oath  to  the  fathers,  i:8;    29:12; 

Gen.  22 :  16. 
Og,  1:4;  3:1  f-;  Num.  21:33. 

Paran,    1:1;    33 :  2 ;    Gen.   21 :  21 ; 

Num.  10: 12;    13:3,  26. 
Passover,    16:1-8;    Exod.    12:23; 

34 :  25 ;    Lev.  23 : 5 ;    Nxmi.  9. 
Peaceofferings,   12:6;  18 : 3 ;  27 :  7 ; 

Lev.  7 :  15. 
Pillar,    7:5;    12:3;    16:22;    Lev. 

26: 1. 
Pisgah,  3:27;  4 :  49 ;  34 :  i ;  Nvma. 

23 :  14. 
Primogeniture,  21:15-17;   C.  of  H. 

165. 
Prophets,  false,  13:1;  true,  18:15. 
Pimishment,   corporal,   22:18;    25 : 

1-3;   C.  of  H.  202,  sixty  strokes. 

Rebellious     son,     21:18;      27:16; 

Exod.  21:15;   Lev.  20:9;    C.  of 

H.  195. 
Release,  year  of,  15:1-6;     31:10; 

Exod.  23 :  10 ;    Lev.  25. 


Rephaim,    2:11,     20;      3:11,    13; 

Gen.  15 :  20. 
Reuben,  3 :  12,  16 ;  33 :  6 ;  Gen.  49 ;  3. 

Seduction,  22:23  ff-J  Exod.  22:16; 

C.  of  H.  130. 
Siege,  20 :  10  ff . 
Sihon,    2:30;    Num.   21:21. 
Simeon,  27:12;    Gen.  49:5. 
Sinai,  33 :  2 ;  Exod.  19 :  2. 
Slavery,    15:12-18;     Exod.    21:2; 

C.  of  H.  119. 
Spies,  1 :  19  ;  Num.  20 :  14  £E. 

Taberah,  9:22;    Num.  11:1-3. 
Tithes,  14:  22;   26: 12  fif,;  Lev.  27; 
Num.  18. 

Wilderness,  8:2;    29 :  5. 
Witness,  law  of,   17:6;    19:15  ff.; 
Num.  35 :  30. 

Zebulun,  33:18;  Gen.  49:13. 
Zered,  2:13;  Num.  21:12  ff. 
Zin,  32 :  51 ;  Niun.  33 :  36. 


963 


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64-66  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 


The  One -Volume  Bible  Commentary 

By  Various  Writers.     Rev.   J.   R.   DUMMELOW,    Editor 

Should  be  in  the  hands  of  every  student  of  the  Bible.  Other  works  may 
prove  useful  to  extend  special  lines  of  study ;  the  foundation  will  be 
broad  and  deep  if  after  the  Bible  itself  the  student  bases  his  study  on 
this  volume. 

Jn  one  volume,  with  general  articles  and  maps,  $2.50  net ;  by  mail,  $2.82 

"  *  The  One-Volume  Bible  Commentary  *  breaks  a  new  path  in  exegeti- 
cal  literature.  It  is  a  marvel  of  condensed  scholarship.  I  know  of 
no  book  that  compresses  so  much  solid  information  into  the  same 
number  of  pages.  While  up-to-date  in  every  respect,  I  rejoice  to 
note  its  prevalent  conservatism  and  its  reverent  tone."  —  Henry  E. 
Jacobs,   LtUheran  Theological  Seminary^  Mount  Airy^  Philadelphia. 

"  This  book  is  no  bigger  than  a  good  sized  Bible,  but  in  it  the  whole 
Bible  is  expounded.  This  is  what  families  and  Sunday-school  teachers 
have  long  been  waiting  for.  The  other  commentaries  are  in  too 
many  volumes  and  cost  too  much  to  get  into  the  ordinary  domestic 
library.  But  this  fits  any  shelf.  The  explanations  clear  away  the 
difficulties  and  illuminate  the  text.  They  make  it  possible  for  anybody 
to  read  even  the  prophets  with  understanding.  The  critical  exposi- 
tions are  uniformly  conservative,  but  the  best  scholarship  is  brought 
to  them.  This  is  what  devout  and  careful  scholars  believe.  To  bring 
all  this  into  moderate  compass  and  under  a  reasonable  price  is  a 
notable  accomplishment." — Dr.  George  Hodges,  Dean  of  the  Episcopal 
Theological 'School^  Cambridge^  Mass, 

"  An  astonishing  amount  of  information  has  been  compressed  into 
these  pages,  and  it  will  be  difficult  to  find  another  book  anything 
near  this  in  size  which  will  be  as  helpful  to  the  general  reader  as 
this.  Sunday-school  teachers,  Bible  students,  Christian  Endeavorers, 
and  all  that  are  interested  in  the  study  of  the  Word  of  God  will  find 
here  a  store  of  helpful  suggestions."  —  Christian  Endeavor  World. 


PUBLISHED    BY 

THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

64-66  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 


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